Clearwire Shutters Rover "Youth" WiMAX Brand

Clearwire has confirmed that it is shuttering its Rover pre-pay brand, replacing it with its own no-contract plans. The company told FierceWireless that Rover was only ever "offered on a limited retail basis in a couple markets" and was seen as a way "to test some new pay-as-you-go pricing options." There's no word on whether the Rover Puck mobile hotspot will be made available as a CLEAR Spot.

That's a shame, because back when we reviewed the Rover Puck we found it to be a decent little hotspot. Although there's no 3G fall-back – which would have increased the price, since it would demand roaming off of Clearwire's WiMAX network – you can share a connection with up to eight users simultaneously; most mobile hotspots limit that number to five.

In fact, Clearwire's hotspot range is looking pretty barren right now, with only the CLEAR Spot 4G – from last year – currently available, and as a refurb at that. Sales of the Rover Puck (or its Rover Stick USB modem counterpart) have already halted. Clearwire announced its Q1 2011 financial results yesterday, with revenues up 142-percent from the previous year.