Amazing 4G Speeds From a USB Modem

But that's only half the story. When we tested the U300 in Baltimore, we were astounded with what we got. We pulled into a parking spot in Baltimore's Inner Harbor area, opened the laptop and turned on the modem. First try; we were greeted with data download speeds of more than 6600 kbps. That number is four to five times as fast as the best 3G speeds we recorded and 50% faster than Sprint claims it will go. The DSL connection in the TheStreet.com offices provides only 1300-1500 kbps downloads. It's not capable of professional dedicated line speeds, but any way you measure it, Sprint's wireless 4G connection is really fast!

All of this is fine for Baltimore, but I spend most of my time in the New York City area. I'm hoping Xohm will come here soon. Portland, Ore., is reportedly the next city to get a 4G network -- just after the new year. This new network will be branded Clearwire (CLWR Quote) "Clear."

When Sprint and Clearwire's asset merger is fully completed, the Xohm brand will be phased out and the Baltimore network's name will be changed to Clear as well. The new venture has received $3.2 billion from Comcast (CMCSA Quote), Intel (INTC Quote), Time Warner Cable (TWC Quote), Google (GOOG Quote) and Bright House Networks.

The U300 modem will sell for $149.99 with a two-year contract, after a $50 mail-in rebate. The new 4G service will set you back an extra $20 a month on any Sprint Mobile Data plan. Beginning Dec. 21, you can purchase the modem from the Sprint direct business sales force, most Baltimore-area Sprint stores and select Baltimore- area retailers. In January, the device will also be available in Baltimore-area Best Buy (BBY Quote) stores.

All this is fine for medium-sized cities like Baltimore and Portland. But I'm hoping that we'll see these speeds when 4G gets to large cities -- especially New York. The sooner the better.