Cable companies sure are trying to capitalize on wireless Internet services. We’ve seen Comcast involved with this before, as they’ve joined Cablevision in an effort to provide Wi-Fi hotspots as an add-on to home TV and Internet service. This has worked well in attracting customers. The latest word is that Comcast will offer wireless Internet services in Portland, Oregon starting today. The offering makes Comcast essentially an MVNO of Clearwire’s WiMax network. Details after the jump.
The basic coverage, which will be available for a promotional price of $49.95 per month, will work over the WiMax network and provide speeds of up to 4 Mbps. That sounds like quite the good deal, since most mobile broadband plans cost $60 per month. However, there are a few catches to go along with this.
First, the actual plan costs $73 per month. So whenever that promotional period ends — either six months or one year in most cases — customers will see a $23 hike in their monthly bills. Also, if customers want to use the service outside the main service area, they’ll have to pay an additional $20 per month to access Sprint’s 3G mobile broadband network. This would also make a dual-mode modem essential, further adding to the overall costs.
The good news: this also comes with Comcast’s home Internet service. This makes the $73 monthly charge a bit more palatable.
The Portland network launches today, and Comcast plans for additional coverage in Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Chicago this year.
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