Big box retail giant Best Buy and wireless broadband service provider
Clearwire July 29 announced a "strategic wholesale relationship in which
Best Buy will use Clearwire's 4G network to offer mobile Internet service to
customers under the Best Buy Connect service. Beginning in 2011, Best Buy will
offer a new 4G tier for its recently introduced Best Buy Connect service,"
Clearwire said.
Jed Stillman, vice president of
Best Buy Connect, said the partnership with Clearwire would "enable Best
Buy Connect to leverage the Clearwire 4G network's speed and bandwidth to
deliver compelling new mobile broadband experiences for our customers." He
continued, "This agreement paves the way to providing one-stop shopping
and support for mobile broadband as more people become more connected across all
kinds of devices. We believe consumers will appreciate the added advantage of
relying on Best Buy Connect for both 3G and 4G mobile broadband services
beginning next year."
Clearwire's statement said, "Best Buy Connect was conceived to help
accelerate mobile broadband adoption by providing consumers the convenience of
one-stop shopping for devices, service activation, billing and customer support
from Best Buy." It also said, "Best Buy Connect will offer its
customers 4G service options that use the Clearwire network currently available
in dozens of cities across the United States,
with network coverage expected to continue to expand."
"Best Buy is at the forefront of providing consumers with the best in
consumer electronics products and services, and we are very proud to provide
the mobile broadband network that will enable them to offer their own branded
4G service to their broad customer base," said Teresa Elder, president of
strategic partnerships and wholesale at Clearwire. "This new agreement is
particularly strategic for our 'network of networks' business model. Not only
is this one of the first major wholesale agreements beyond our group of
strategic investors, but it also demonstrates the interest in our network from
companies outside of traditional service providers. We look forward to
supporting Best Buy in the months and years ahead."
Earlier in July, Clearwire announced the in-store and online
availability of the Clear Spot 4G and Clear Spot 4G+ mobile hot spots. The
company also announced that it has begun filling preorders for both devices.
The Clear Spot 4G is a personal mobile hot spot allowing users to securely
share unlimited Internet access anywhere Clearwire has coverage simultaneously
with up to eight WiFi-enabled devices. The Clear Spot 4G costs $99.99 or can be
leased for $4.99 a month. Monthly Clear service plans start at $40 per month,
according to the company's Website.
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