Sprint Overdrive 3G / 4G router officially announced
By Nilay Patel 
posted January 6th 2010 11:37PM
posted January 6th 2010 11:37PM
posted January 6th 2010 11:37PM
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So how fast is this? Could I use this to replace a modest cable internet connection at home?
@roxics
Nevermind they don't have 4G coverage in Detroit. So this is useless to me.
@roxics sure could. these are supposed to have 3-6MBps and burst up to 10MBps. I myself am waiting for sprint to have 4g coverage in CA. my house only has 1MBps.
@roxics
I don't know if Sprint is capping the speed, but my Clear service is for 4Mbps, but my actual speed varies between 4.5Mbps and 7.25Mbps. And I only pay $35 / month which includes the rental of the WiMax modem.
@iwdwebman Methinks you've got your bits and your Bytes confused.
O_O
how about caps and limitations of 3G data plan?
how does it compare to Mifi, other than the "10x faster speed"?
@chrislevin yeah, what for 59 a month?
@chrislevin
No caps for 4G. 5 gigabyte limit for 3G.
http://nextelonline.nextel.com/en/stores/popups/4G_coverage_popup.shtml
Drools.
I'm so glad I'm out of contract on my Sprint data plan. This and the HP TM2 will be mine! Good CES so far...
Do you think they will sell them in non-4G markets? I'll still buy it for traveling, and when they launch 3G here. I'd love to see when Salt Lake City is slated for WiMax rollout.
@MBN They sure do. I have a U300 and I'm in a non 4G market, I travel a lot and was upgrading my old card so I figured why not. The $9.99 4G day pass doesn't really bother me either, since I don't always need to use the extra bandwidth. (Or in an area with 4G)
Of course, as more areas get added I'll probably switch over the $79.99 plan for unlimited 4G, but for right now it's not worth it for me.
I would still like to see such devices with built in storage or with a memory card slot for file sharing (NAS).
The Overdrive has a microSD slot with up to 32gb storage limit. It also has triple the range of the Mifi by Novatel (100ft)
@dhillksu Thanks for the clarification. I will have to add this to my wish list. I am going to check it out to see how compact it is.
now the advertisements all over engadget make a little more sense.
This is going to be awesome! I actually work at one of the Best Buys in Atlanta that will have a demo!
Now can they make it cheaper per month....
Except wimax is through clearwire which is garbage, and currently has a lawsuit pending for poor service. Don't believe me? google it
The clearwire shills will be downvoting me soon, as always so read before make a decision
@Hydra - I actually voted you up. I have Clear and there is some work to be done by them to even out their service, lets put it that way.
All reviews in live 4G markets tout download speeds that average 6mbs download and can see bursts around 11-12mbs. So if Crapcast or AT&T are charging 35-50/month for similar speeds that strap you down and tie to your home office, is 60 bucks/month for those speeds in all top 50 US markets by the end of 2010 really that unreasonable? Bottom line...it won't get cheaper.
Waitaminute...4G has no data cap? Haven't the carriers all instituted 5gb caps to prevent heavy users from monopolizing bandwidth? Wasn't AT&T just complaining about how the iPhone by itself is burying their 3G network???? HA HA HA, all lies, just as we knew!!
I'm sorry, but who the hell cares? Verizon will have LTE rolled out LONG before sprint gets decent "4g" coverage. As usual, the service will be better across the board, and sprint can put the clearwire parnership to sleep and hop on the LTE bandwagon. Actually, do we even NEED Sprint anymore? or T Mobile?
@bigdave
Seeing that millions of subscribers use both services, yes we still need them. Nothing against Big Red but I love not having to sell off my first born to afford my cell service.
@bigdave - Perhaps there is a juicy window for WiMAX until 2012 before big LTE 4g starts rolling out. This product verges on providing a replacement for your home broadband, plus the mobility throughout a 4g/3g network. If for example a big company like Google (part Clear owner) would get Android onto a WiMAX/3g handset, and round it out with some sort of VoIP-like app/service seamlessly integrated... all on one data plan... the convergence (of my bills) could be a staggering boon (to my bank account).
You are not out on a limb or anything in being skeptical - Clear WiMAX will have to improve its coverage and work out its kinks, and somebody will have to pull together these techs into a good device and service. But the parts are all in play now, with big players trying to make it happen, so 2 years could easily be enough time to slap them together and get some big market share before LTE fully arrives. If it's first and good enough, look out.
That must be a hell of a battery to do WIMAX, WIFI, and EVDO transmissions. Wonder if it can last half as long as a real MiFi.