Clearwire on Monday unveiled Rover, a pay-as-you-go 4G mobile broadband service aimed at tech-savvy "digitally addicted" customers looking for high-speed mobile broadband without a contract.
Non-contract, unlimited service plans will run $50 per month, $20 per week, or $5 per day. Users will purchase a "re-up" PIN code or a Rover Re-up card in $20 and $50 denominations. The company will not require a credit card in order to purchase access.
Users can access Rover via the Rover Puck hotspot or the Rover Stick USB modem.
The Puck can connect to up to eight devices at home or on-the-go. Clearwire said it is small enough to fit in a purse or backpack in order to serve as a broadband access point for laptops, netbooks, tablets, smartphones, and more. It features download speeds of 3 to 6 Mbps, with bursts over 10 Mbps, Clearwire said. It is available now for $149.99.
The Stick is a personal 4 G-Byte modem that connects any notebook, laptop, or desktop to the Rover 4g service. It is compatible with Macbooks running Mac OS X, as well as Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7. It is available now for $99.99.
The service will be available in all of Clearwire's 49 markets. Users can sign up at rover.com, at Clear stores, Best Buy locations, and select independent wireless stores in Houston and St. Louis.
Rover is being targeted at younger, Internet-addicted, 18 to 24 year-old, city-dwelling users, Mike Sievert, chief commercial officer, said during a call with reporters.
"They don't like what it feels like to be on the clock," Sievert said. "The magic of the Internet is about being unconstrained."
When asked why Clearwire would limit itself to this age group, Sievert said having a target "gives Rover a spark." These users "have really not had chances before now in the mobile broadband space."
Sievert pointed to Clearwire's vast spectrum holdings, which will "give people the services they demand."