By Wailin Wong | Clearwire Corp., the telecommunications company that launched 4G mobile
broadband service in Chicago last year, said it has started upgrading
its network and expects to increase potential speeds by about 20 to 30
percent.

Chicago is one of 27 markets where Clearwire operates its 4G network.
Current speeds are comparable to a DSL connection, Clearwire said in a
press release, with average mobile download speeds coming in between 3
and 6 megabits per second. Clearwire’s network is designed to deliver
residential broadband-like speeds even when consumers are accessing the
Web from a mobile device and moving around the city. Sprint and Comcast
also offer 4G service under their own brands and using Clearwire’s
network.

Clearwire said the network upgrades “will be made on a rolling basis” and have already taken place in cities such as Seattle, Honolulu and Maui.

The company also said Chicago will be the test market for new, environmentally friendly equipment for its base stations. Clearwire said the equipment could cut electrical operating expenses by up to 90 percent.

This year, Clearwire is adding new cities to its network, including New York City, Houston, Boston, Washington D.C., Los Angeles and San Francisco.