Put down that bowl of homemade granola and take heed, citizens of Portland: you're about to get a first crack at Comcast's High-Speed 2go service, and we don't want any of your excuses about "taking a tech sabbatical" or "getting lost in the wilderness" to keep you away from sweet, sweet broadband bundles. Based on Clearwire's WiMAX service, Comcast High-Speed 2go is available in a "Fast Pack Metro" bundle which packs home internet service, a WiFi router and the WiMAX for $50 a month, with another $20 tacking on nationwide Sprint 3G (along with the appropriate 3G / WiMAX combo card). Existing Triple Play customers can add the WiMAX by itself for $30. Comcast plans to launch similar service in Atlanta, Chicago, and Philadelphia before the end of 2009.

Sure, Clearwire has actually been running its WiMAX network in Atlanta for six weeks already, but that technicality isn't stopping the company from deciding now is the time to "launch" the service in the metro area, with an appropriately-sized marketing blitz to boot. Portland travelers already using the service should feel at home now with their own personal 4G network to keep them company while they engorge on the recommended dosage of Chik-Fil-A sandwiches and Varsity chili dogs. Prices are identical to what we've already heard and, yes, even though the company just quietly launched the service in Las Vegas, expect to see the delayed red carpet rollout for that city sometime later this Summer.

Clearwire's been slowly planting its WiMAX seeds around the country, and with nary a peep, it's rolled out the service into the Las Vegas area, designated by the image above. According to a company rep, the "official" launch -- including new store openings and a marketing blitz -- will begin this summer, but for now, it's operational and ready for those in the know. Portland and Atlanta vacationers, you can now watch your online bank account dwindle faster than you ever could before.

[Via Fierce Wireless; thanks, Zachery]

Read - Clearwire Goes Soft in Vegas
Read - Clear coverage map

Clearwire may not be as ubiquitous as you'd like it to be, but it's taking a huge step forward in hopes of wildly expanding by linking up with Cisco. In essence, the two have joined hands in order to "enhance and expand CLEAR 4G mobile WiMAX services throughout the United States," with Cisco providing the core infrastructure and Clearwire providing the guidance. Potentially more interesting is the notion that Cisco's Linksys brand will soon be delivering "new mobile WiMAX devices," such as routers that will presumably tune to WiFi and WiMAX waves. Specific product details are sorely absent, though Clearwire does reiterate that it's hoping to have WiMAX service to more than 80 markets across the US by the end of next year.

While making a point to assert it's looking into LTE as well, Dell has for now jumped on the WiMAX bandwagon by announcing it'll offer the technology as an option on its Studio 15, Studio 17, and Studio XPS 16 laptops. US customers can pick the Intel 5150 WiMAX / Wireless-N combo card for $60 under the wireless card tab when customizing. Right now, we'd wager a few people living in Portland, Atlanta, or pockets of Baltimore just got mighty happy.

While Clearwire's Clear Spot (which is really just a refashioned PHS-300) will handle WiMAX right out of the box, those who own one of CradlePoint's existing portable routers are flat out of luck... or are they? Said company has just announced that starting today, shipments of its business-class routers -- including the MBR800, MBR1000, and MBR1100 line of mobile broadband routers, CTR500 mobile broadband travel router, and CBA250 cellular broadband adapter -- will have WiMAX compatibility built in. Furthermore, a forthcoming (April 6th) firmware update will enable existing CradlePoint products to accept select WiMAX devices, and yes, it'll be made available for no charge at all. Talk about throwing a bone to your loyal customers.

Good news for those who happened to live in Portland -- and elsewhere in the years to come. Clearwire's announced that the CradlePoint-manufactured portable WiMAX-equipped WiFi router we saw back in January will be hitting stores in early April as the Clear Spot Personal Hotspot. Up to eight 802.11 b/g-compatible devices will be able to share the 4Mbps bandwidth. Price is $139 for the unit, but of course you'll have to pay The Man beyond that to actually use the service. The company promises more devices like this in the coming months.

Although apparently not on its site just yet, it looks like Samsung's RSS feed has unleashed the first official pic of that WiMAX-enabled SWD-M100 MID we spotted at MWC as well as revealed a catchier name: Mondi. The device will utilize Clearwire's Mobile WiMAX network simply dubbed "Clear." Last we heard it was running Windows Mobile 6.1, but seeing as its sporting that dedicated Windows button required for WinMo 6.5, that all could change before it's release. Speaking of which, mum's the word on pricing or availability, we're afraid.

[Via Phonescoop]

The XOHM label may be gone, but the potency of Sprint's WiMAX network is still kickin' in and around Baltimore. For those itching for wicked fast mobile broadband outside of The Charm City, Sprint has just unveiled a slew of expansion areas that'll get gifted in 2009 and 2010. As for the rest of this year, folks in Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Ft. Worth, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Portland and Seattle can expect Sprint 4G rollouts, while residents of Boston, Houston, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. can be on the lookout in 2010. In related news, the carrier is also taking this opportunity to reveal that it has "several new 4G devices planned for 2009 and 2010, including a single-mode 4G data card, embedded laptops, a small-office-home-office broadband modem and a tri-mode phone." Lovely.

Yeah, that's right, Portland, wipe that smug grin off your face. You too, Baltimore, because Clearwire has committed to a list of new mobile WiMAX launches for this year and next -- and needless to say, there are some major markets in the mix. In its earnings call this week, Clearwire revealed 2009 will see Atlanta, Las Vegas, Chicago, Charlotte, Dallas / Fort Worth, Honolulu, Philadelphia, and Seattle all take the plunge, while '10 will add New York, Washington DC, Boston, and San Fran (among other to-be-named metros). We're not sure whether they're talking about the same U300 USB modem that launched before, but the company has also mentioned that it'll be launching a dual-mode data card this summer, and ahead of that, we'll be getting that portable WiMAX WiFi hotspot by the end of this month. The goal is to cover about 120 million pops in 80 markets by the end of next year, which certainly seems strong enough to give the oncoming LTE rush a run for its money, doesn't it?

[Via mocoNews]

We can't say a device such as this was inevitable or anything, but given how limited the adoption of WiMAX has been thus far in America, it's definitely a win for everyone involved. According to Sidecut Reports, Clearwire will soon unveil a portable WiMAX / WiFi router built by Cradlepoint (prototype pictured), which will utilize a Motorola WiMAX USB stick to enable WiFi-capable devices to gather 'round and surf on the delightfully speedy WiMAX superhighway. In other words, non-WiMAX handsets that have WiFi modules can tap into the WiMAX network (if they're in a lit locale, that is) via this device, which -- if we may say so ourselves -- is a brilliant design move. There's no word yet on when the box will ship nor how pricey it'll be, but this could be just the thing you've been looking for to replace that painfully expensive cable modem at home.

[Thanks, Jeremy]

Yup, it's true, the dual-mode CDMA / WiMAX modem is real and will be sold by Clearwire Sprint starting December 21st. The $150 device (after $50 rebate and two-year Sprint contract) is a first to function on both Sprint's EV-DO network and Clearwire's nascent mobile WiMAX service currently supporting Baltimore's collection of kitschy beauty salons. So yeah, the modem is of limited interest until Clearwire can build-out its network in 2009, starting with Portland in early January.

We first caught wind of Sprint's plans to launch a couple dual-mode CDMA / WiMAX devices under the "Sprint 4G" brand a couple days ago, but we're thinking about it a little more, and we're struck by the carrier's decision to run its 4G services as an MVNO on Clearwire's new Clear network. Sprint's balance sheet is basically upside-down at the moment, so we sort of understand why it's not eager to directly invest in a build-out of 4G infrastructure, but at the end of the day, leasing access to a network for general voice and data services is a totally failed business model -- there's a reason we have an MVNO graveyard. We're not saying Sprint's turning itself into the next Helio, but you just don't see the other major carriers doing things like selling off almost all of their existing towers and then letting a spinoff handle their 4G buildouts. We'd say there's some deep juju going on behind the scenes here, and with company spokespeople saying things like "nothing's off the table," it feels like some radical changes are about to hit Overland Park. We'll see how it shakes down soon enough, we think -- the status quo doesn't seem like it can last much longer.