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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Clearwire Brings Wireless Broadband Internet Service to Duluth, Frees Customers from Confines of Traditional Internet AccessReliable Broadband Provider Continues Minnesota Expansion, Creates Alliance With Duluth Children’s Museum
DULUTH, Minn. (July 26, 2005) — Clearwire officially launched its wireless broadband Internet service in Duluth today when company and community leaders cut through a ribbon of coaxial cable and telephone cord at a celebratory reception at the Duluth Depot. Duluth is the third market in Minnesota to receive the company’s innovative service, behind St. Cloud, which launched in December, and a cluster of 15 Central Minnesota communities, which launched earlier this month. The company celebrated its launch by announcing a local alliance with the Duluth Children’s Museum. “Duluth now has a better choice for broadband Internet service that’s simple, flexible and affordable,” said Jerry Zink, Clearwire’s general manager for Duluth. “Clearwire will break down the barriers of traditional broadband service, offering consumers high-speed Internet without wires,” added Bill Snoeberger, Clearwire’s vice president of small markets. Snoeberger, Zink, Mayor Herb Bergson, Duluth Chamber of Commerce President David Ross and Duluth Children’s Museum President Michael Garcia then cut through the cables with several pair of large wire cutters. At the event, Clearwire announced it has formed a unique partnership with the Duluth Children’s Museum and presented them with a donation of $2,500. Clearwire will also provide the museum with broadband-speed Internet access in their computer lab. “One of the things we like to do as soon as we come into a community is find a way to give back in a meaningful way,” said Zink. “Because of the historical significance and local appreciation for the Duluth Children’s Museum, we felt we could best give back to the community by supporting their efforts.” “We believe this contribution will be a great starting point for developing an ongoing partnership with the Duluth Children’s Museum,” Zink added. Clearwire deploys a next-generation, non-line-of-sight (NLOS) technology that allows customers to connect to the Internet via a signal sent across the airwaves rather than across wires. The company sends the signal from a transmitter to a specially developed receiver box that plugs into the customer’s computer instead of connecting to traditional coaxial cable or telephone wires. Customers simply plug the receiver into an electrical outlet and into their computer to gain high-speed access to the Internet from any room inside or outside their home or office. “Clearwire is ‘next-generation’ wireless broadband Internet service delivered to the consumer in a manner that is easier to get, set up and use than other options currently offered,” said Zink. Anyone can purchase Clearwire service at select local retailers, take it home, set it up and be online in minutes. It’s plug-and-play installation — no need for a technician to configure additional hardware and no need for software to be loaded onto computers to make it work. In addition, customers can move the service from place to place inside Clearwire’s coverage area, which allows them to use the service throughout their home, office or favorite coffee house. As long as there is a power source, Internet access is available. “We’ve already heard so many great stories about how Clearwire is changing the way people live and work,” said Zink. “We have realtors who access their email and listings while showing homes, small business owners who cut their Internet costs in half by taking their Clearwire modem with them to work in the morning and home with them at night, and homeowners who enjoy moving their service from room to room in their home wherever there’s an electrical outlet.” Clearwire service is currently available to approximately 40,000 households in Duluth. The service is sold at several authorized retailers in the area, at Clearwire’s Duluth sales center at 11 E. Superior Street, Suite 360, toll free at 888-CLEARWIRE and online at clearwire.com. Duluth is the latest city to receive Clearwire’s service as part of the company’s expansion to cities across the United States. “We’re excited about providing the area residents and small business owners reliable, wireless broadband-speed Internet access with flexibility they’ve never had before,” said Snoeberger. “Clearwire eliminates the limitations of traditional broadband services, offering a more consumer-friendly Internet experience. And, of course, we’re pleased to be launching our Duluth coverage area.” Clearwire is led by Craig McCaw, one of the early pioneers in providing cellular phone service in the United States in the early 1980s. His company, McCaw Cellular, grew to be the largest U.S. cellular service provider and was later acquired by AT&T. Clearwire drew national attention in the summer of 2004 when it announced it would deploy wireless broadband technology in select markets across the country. Since then, Clearwire has launched service in Jacksonville and Daytona Beach, Fla.; St. Cloud, Minn.; Abilene, Midland and Odessa, Texas; Modesto, Stockton, Visalia and Merced, Calif.; Medford and Eugene, Ore.; and 15 Central Minnesota communities. About Clearwire
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