US cableco Comcast has announced that it will partner with Clearwire to offer a new package of services that will bundle Clearwire’s WiMAX mobile broadband with its own cable internet services. Clearwire has to date launched WiMAX in four markets: Portland, Las Vegas, Atlanta, and Baltimore. Comcast will launch its WiMAX bundle in Portland first, with the other three cities to follow by the end of the year. To entice new subscribers, Comcast is pairing the mobile broadband option with its 12Mbps cable modem service, plus a free 802.11g router, for USD50 a month for the first twelve months. A WiMAX datacard, which fits into a laptop, costs USD99, although subscribers who sign up for a two-year commitment get the data card for free. After the first year, subscribers will pay USD43 per month for the 12Mbps broadband service and USD30 extra per month for the wireless service. The WiMAX network is advertised as offering speeds of 4Mbps (down) and 500kbps (up). For subscribers which require ubiquitous coverage, Comcast is offering a combined 3G/4G service that provides wireless connectivity on the Clearwire WiMAX network when it is available and on Sprint Nextel’s 3G wireless service in other areas, for an additional USD20 per month.

Clearwire’s WiMAX build out will include six more cities in 2009: Chicago, Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth, Honolulu, Philadelphia, and Seattle. In 2010 Clearwire expects to launch networks in more than 50 additional cities, including New York, Boston, Washington, Houston and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Source:telegeography