Three Wireless Cities: Comparison
Note: This page is part of the Portable Broadband: A Tale of Three Cities article in the December 20, 2004 issue of our report.
Comparisons
Our goal was to examine the three systems from a qualitative and user perspective. Here's a summary that captures some of the key similarities and differences:
Service provider Nextel Broadband Clearwire City of St. Cloud
Technology supplier Flarion NextNet Wireless Tropos Networks
Top speed available 1.5 down/375 up 1.5 down/256 up 1.5 down/300
Lowest priced service $35 $25 Free
Level of mobility Fully mobile Portable, some mobility Portable
CPE descriptionPC card or desktop modem Desktop modem Wi-Fi card or built into PC
Use out of home area Triangle only Discrete cities, expanding Anywhere with Wi-Fi access
Standards compliance No Indicates future is WiMAX Yes - 802.11b