Clearwire 'Finally in New York City'Clearwire 'Finally in New York City'

Clearwire LLC (Nasdaq: CLWR) says that its mobile WiMax service "is finally available in New York City" for an initial offer of $35 a month.

The Kirkland, Wash-based operator has started mailing out offers to New York residents who asked for updates -- your correspondent included -- that mobile WiMax service is available for an initial price of $35 a month, as long as you sign up by the end of September. The initial price expires after two months and service reverts to a regular rate of $55.

The ad is aimed at potential early adopters: The copy states that "if you are one of the first 20 people in New York City" to get the service, you can get a free WiMax USB stick that can roam onto 3G, which otherwise costs $115. Yes, you did read that right: one of the first 20 people!

NYC is still listed as "a future Clear city" in Clearwire's coverage map. Nonetheless, service is clearly expected to be up and running by the end of this month. Clearwire's part-owner and 3G partner Sprint Corp. (NYSE: S) is promising a preview of its so-called "4G" services using the Clear network this week. (See Sprint: 4G Is in the Air for NYC.)

The Big Apple, with its population of over eight million, is an important city for Clearwire in order to meet its target of covering a potential customer base of 120 million by the end of 2010. Other major launches still to come this year include San Francisco and Los Angeles. (See Clearwire Preps NY & SF Markets.)

— Dan Jones, Site Editor, Light Reading Mobile