Unstrung reports that broadband wireless ISP Clearwire is moving into Europe, quietly launching a commercial network in Belgium.
Clearwire has deployed NextNet Wireless gear that currently covers 60 percent of capital city Brussels and 75 percent of nearby town Mont St Guibert.
A spokeswoman at Clearwire Belgium declined to provide specific details of subscriber numbers but claims the company plans to expand the service throughout Belgium — a nation otherwise known for its strong beer and celebrity underwear museum — in the months ahead.
The service uses “pre-WiMax” kit in the 3.5GHz spectrum band, and approximately 40 base stations have been deployed to date. Clearwire expects to continue to use equipment from NextNet once official WiMax products are available later this year (see WiMax Lab Opens Its Doors). Clearwire has already expressed its commitment to rolling out a future WiMax network (see Intel, Clearwire Do WiMax).
The company touts two different data packages for its Belgian service, offering downlink speeds of up to 1 Mbit/s and uplink speeds of up to 256 kbit/s, or a faster package of 3 Mbit/s on the downlink and 512 kbit/s on the uplink. Monthly tariffs range from 28.99 (US$35.83) for the slower connection, up to 78.99 ($97.64).
To date, Clearwire has deployed broadband wireless networks in Daytona Beach and Jacksonville, Fla; Abilene, Midland, and Odessa, Texas; Duluth and St.Cloud, Minn; Eau Claire, Wisc; Eugene, Medford, and Roseburg, Ore; and Merced, Modesto, Stockton, and Visalia, Calif.
Clearwire expects to launch future services in Canada and Mexico.
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