The network Clearwire is unveiling today — which allows customers to connect to the Internet wirelessly wherever one can find a power outlet — is the biggest in the three-year history of the company.

Before the Seattle launch, Clearwire operated in 12 states and 31 markets, with networks covering cities such as Amarillo, Texas; Duluth, Minn.; and Lewiston, Idaho. Its network now covers areas with a population of about 8 million people, with Wolff saying that the company has more than 160,000 subscribers nationwide.

The service provides a wireless connection through a Clearwire modem that plugs into any power source, such as a power outlet or a car cigarette lighter.

“If you look at our high speeds, those are things that Clearwire can’t match,” Comcast spokesman Steve Kipp said.

“The real reason we get traction in markets is because our service is so different from what else is available,” he said.

John Chapple, a former executive at McCaw Cellular who most recently ran Kirkland-based Nextel Partners, thinks customers will take a serious look at Clearwire.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer