# Do you have any experience with CLEAR Wireless Internet Plans? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 22, 2010, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-any-experience-with-clear-wireless-internet-plans/540358 "2010-05-22T12:57:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2010, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-any-experience-with-clear-wireless-internet-plans/540358/1 "2010-05-22T12:57:50Z")
I would like a new internet plan - but out here in the sticks my options are limited. For fast internet I have Comcast and that is about it. I recently found a link to _CLEAR Wireless Internet Plans_ but am a little leery - I know no one who has it. Does anyone here have any experience with it? ---
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2010, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-any-experience-with-clear-wireless-internet-plans/540358/2 "2010-05-22T14:24:46Z")
I’m actually waiting for these folks to show up in my area- I currently use Verizon, and the 5G cap on data is killing me. Folks that I know who have it have no complaints- they’re all in situations like you and I, rural areas with limited fast options. ---
**Author:** ![RhapsodyInBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RhapsodyInBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RhapsodyInBlue)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2010, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-any-experience-with-clear-wireless-internet-plans/540358/3 "2010-05-22T16:03:22Z")
I have it, and like it a lot. It’s not lightening fast, but it’s adequate and unlimited. After reading about it on [Clark Howard’s website](http://clarkhoward.com/liveweb/shownotes/2009/04/10/15513/), I went to the Clear store and was on line at home in under an hour. Some of [the reviewers on the site](http://clarkhoward.com/p/boards/ch/postlist.pl?Cat=&Board=clarkhowardtechnology&page=1&view=collapsed&sb=5) were in my general neighborhood and complained they didn’t get good reception and were now locked into a two year contract. So, I opted not to sign the contract in case it turned out to be a horror story. Without the contract you have to buy their router and modem (about $200); the service is $45/month. If you want a second service (like their “On the Go” modem card, it’s $55/month for both. (I think that’s very reasonable compared with the $70/month I’d been paying Verizon for a USB modem card that could only connect one device at a time.) At first I was disappointed with Clear because I couldn’t keep the router and modem in the inconspicuous spot I had designated for them in my office. (An east facing window - very poor signal strength.) I moved them around the house until I found a spot in my guest room where I got more lights and that was fine for a while. Then we had a heavy thunderstorm and I lost my ability to connect entirely - even the next day when the storm was over! I ended up calling Clear customer service, an unusually pleasant experience since it’s domestically staffed and picked up before the third ring by a competent tech! He had me carry the modem and router around the house until we found a different window facing west. To me the number of lights on the modem looked the same, but from his screen he saw a significant difference in strength. My house is about three miles east of their closest tower. The service is now in the “very good” category for me. We usually have two laptops, a wireless printer, and a wireless internet radio on line. One laptop is hooked up to the TV and we can stream movies from Netflix without any pauses for additional buffering. ETA: I’ve had Clear for six months now. The house is brick and surrounded by trees. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2010, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-any-experience-with-clear-wireless-internet-plans/540358/4 "2010-05-22T18:54:17Z")
I had it when they were still called Clearwire (about 2 years ago). It was alright but occasionally it would go out in the middle of the night (sometime after 1am, say) and not be restored until 6-9am. Seeing as that’s like midday for me, I swapped to a hard wire. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2010, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-any-experience-with-clear-wireless-internet-plans/540358/5 "2010-05-22T20:19:11Z")
I hated it. I was counting days until the contract was up, but there was a far superior hardwired service in my area.