Cell phone users get ready. Clearwire is getting prepared to provide WiMax through different areas around the U.S. For those of you not familiar, WiMAX (News - Alert) brings speeds that are promised to be significantly faster than existing 3G networks for surfing the web and downloading files. If you have experience with slow-loading browsers, WiMax may be the answer to your Internet problems.

According to a DailyTech article, the only firms backing WiMAX in the US are Clearwire and customer and part owner Sprint. Clearwire and Sprint have made it clear in the past that they will also look to support LTE (News - Alert) as well as WiMAX so the network it runs can support all 4G devices. Clearwire has made no notes on when it might offer LTE service, but the company is testing LTE networks right now.

Clearwire (News - Alert) has announced that a trial of its LTE test network in Phoenix has shown to be measured at 90Mbit/sec speeds. This number might not mean much to you, but what it really means is that the LTE network is ten times faster than the speed that the WiMAX network Clearwire operates is currently capable of.

The tests showed an average speed for applications on the LTE network were in the 20 to 70 Mbit/sec range. Clearwire expects that LTE will allow for speeds of 50Mbit/sec on average.DailyTech added that while Clearwire brags on its LTE network tests, Sprint (News - Alert) has admitted that patchy service lost it customers in early WiMAX areas like Baltimore.

4G president at Sprint, Matt Carter said, "We lost some customers in early deployments." Carter did note that in recent months 4G coverage in cities have reached the acceptable range. He also mentioned that some of the poor coverage could be because Sprint is working with Clearwire as a customer and owns only part of the venture.

Verizon (News - Alert) Wireless, a wireless carrier competitor of Sprint, has already started testing LTE networks in five cities. It’s only a matter of time before other wireless carriers begin to expand their LTE and WiMax capabilities.  

Stefanie Mosca is a Web editor for TMCnet. Previously she worked as a freelance copy editor for Digital Surgeons LLC. She holds a master's degree in journalism from Quinnipiac University and a bachelor's degree in communication from the University of New Haven. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Stefanie Mosca