Comcast Subsidizing WiMAX — Free Modem with 1-Yr Sub
With Clearwire budging a bit from its offer-no-device-subsidy stance recently with a $50 gift card offer, it should come as no surprise that its bigger-pocketed partners like Sprint and Comcast aren’t hesitating when it comes to helping users try out the nascent WiMAX services backed by Clearwire’s network.
The latest enticement we’ve seen is a free WiMAX USB modem offer from Comcast, ostensibly for its Philadelphia customers since the screen-grab of the ad we are showing here to the left came from the Philadelphia Inquirer website.
Since we have said before that we think the lack of subsidies has hurt the adoption rate for WiMAX services, it’s not a bad thing for WiMAX proponents to see more promotions, discounts and other subsidy-type offerings. In a continued era of compressed personal budgets, the choice for broadband services is going to be dominated by the big carriers and their traditional cellphone subsidy plans. Until folks figure out that the two-year lock-ins and huge early termination fees make the bargains somewhat dubious, Clearwire and its partners really have no choice but to try to make the entree to WiMAX a bit easier, however they can. A free modem seems like a good way to start.
