Clearwire 4G finally comes to Seattle

Five years and $4 billion after he started Clearwire with a dream of providing mobile broadband to the masses, wireless mogul Craig McCaw can finally get the service at home in Hunt's Point.

Kirkland-based Clearwire today will begin offering its fourth-generation wireless service in the Puget Sound region, 11 months after the 4G "Clear" service began its national rollout in Portland.

Data plans start at $25 per month for limited in-home service, but the sweet spot may be the $45 unlimited, mobile data plan promising download speeds of 3 to 6 megabits per second with bursts up to 10 Mbps.

The service is being sold directly by Clearwire and through Sprint and Comcast. It also requires a special modem — a USB version costs $50 — or a laptop equipped with a 4G radio.

Phones designed for Clear's network are expected to be announced soon, perhaps in January.

It's a tough time to be pitching a premium data service in regions like Seattle, where most people already have broadband service and costly mobile-phone plans.

But uptake has been better than expected as the service debuts in major cities across the country, CEO Bill Morrow said.

"There's a much higher take rate than what was built into our business plan," he said.

The Seattle launch comes as Clearwire finally has enough financing to build out its network. Last week, it arranged more than $900 million in new borrowing, and earlier this month it raised $1.6 billion more from major investors McCaw, Sprint, Comcast, Intel, Time Warner and Bright House Networks.

The company has grown dramatically, increasing employment from about 1,900 to 3,500 this year, including about 500 locally.

Morrow said it won't hire as many people in 2010, but "it's still going to be a rapid growth and a steep curve."

Other markets getting the 4G service this quarter include Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, Charlotte, N.C., and Honolulu.

The company plans to have its service available to more than 30 million people by the end of the year and more than 120 million people by the end of 2010.

Meanwhile, competitors are rushing to provide competing mobile broadband services, including a Verizon 4G service that could be available within a month.

Clearwire's new service replaces a slower one it has been offering in Seattle since 2004 with mixed results.

Morrow said it was a challenge to avoid pockets of poor reception as the network evolved.

"As we were building the network out, there's always going to be a few customers who like the value behind it but aren't in that footprint to get that high- speed capability," he said.

Clearwire plans to increase its emphasis on customer service, especially now that it has more resources for its network.

"There is going to be an evolution of the customer service that will improve," Morrow said.

Subscribers of the previous service will get new equipment and upgrade to the new service at no charge, said Brian Carter, Clearwire's new general manager for this area.

Brier Dudley: 206-515-5687 or bdudley@seattletimes.com