CLEAR USB modem review

I'm certainly not one of those bloggers who delights in doing giveaways and/or reviews so they can receive a free sample or product. In fact, I have zero interest in those "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" arrangements. But every once in a while (in my case, twice) an opportunity comes up that I can't refuse. A couple months ago, I got one of those opportunities.

I got an email from a CLEAR representative, asking if I would like to try their new service a month. Normally this kind of email would have gone right into the trash, but I was curious about CLEAR. I'd heard about their launch, and wondered how different they were from other Internet service providers. And to be honest? My husband and I had already been thinking of signing up for a new ISP at home. The offer was for a portable USB modem -- not home service -- but I thought it would give me a good idea of how the company works. I knew that one thing I wanted in a ISP was MORE customer service, not less.

I was pleasantly surprised. The emails I sent to my CLEAR representative were always promptly returned, sometimes within just a few minutes. Right around this time, we tested a CLEAR modem for our home and the glitches we had during setup with the home modem (which, again, was separate from the free USB modem trial) were quite easy to resolve thanks to their customer service department, both online and over the phone.

But most of all, the CLEAR USB modem was a joy to use. While testing it, I knew I would never be without internet access, because it created a wireless zone around me that I could tap into in minutes. And on more than one occasion, I found myself needing that modem. Several times I visited a couple of different coffee shops where the internet was down. But with the CLEAR modem, it wasn't a problem for me -- I could just keep on working even though people around me had to shut their laptops and pick up a newspaper to pass the time.

I was a little sad when I had to send the modem back to the CLEAR company. I liked having it as backup when I needed Internet access outside my house. But we did go ahead and purchase the CLEAR service for our home, and we are thrilled with the results. Overall, I think CLEAR is a good company that offers a good product at affordable prices. I'd definitely recommend CLEAR and its services/products to my friends and family!

Full disclosure: I was offered a free one-month trial of a CLEAR USB modem for this review, but the opinion expressed in this post is mine exclusively.