Sprint Nextel To Start Selling First 3G And WiMax Data Card Dec. 21

Sprint (NYSE: S) said today that it will start selling its first combination WiMax and 3G data card on Dec. 21. The card will work on Clearwire’s WiMax network, where it exists, and where it doesn’t, on Sprint’s slower 3G network. To date, Clearwire (NSDQ: CLWR) has WiMax in Baltimore, where Sprint was responsible for rolling it out, and soon in Portland, Ore., meaning that the service will mostly be running on Sprint’s 3G network. If you aren’t living or working a majority of the time in a WiMax market, the service wouldn’t be worth it. To be sure, 4G speeds will reach 2 to 4 mbps, whereas 3G speeds hover between 600 kbps and 1.4 mbps. But the monthly plan costs, $80, which is $20 more than Sprint’s regular mobile broadband connection. The USB modem, manufactured by Franklin Wireless, costs $149.99 with a two-year Sprint subscriber agreement, and after a $50 mail-in-rebate.