Sprint and Clearwire Communications yesterday announced the launch of 4G mobile broadband on O'ahu and Maui.

The move brings streaming video, fast file downloads and uploads and Web browsing. Sprint and Clearwire have partnered to make mobile broadband available nationally.

Sprint rolled out its 4G service in Baltimore in September 2008. Yesterday it launched the service on O'ahu and Maui, as well as in Seattle, bringing to 27 the number of markets where it offers mobile broadband.

Sprint said its 4G service delivers download speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G.1.

With Sprint 4G, customers can download a song, picture, sitcom or large video in seconds, not minutes, or watch live streaming video.

Clearwire said the 4G service, also called WiMAX, is superior to Wi-Fi, which requires users be near a base station. Clearwire said the new service provides average mobile download speeds of 3 to 6 megabits per second, with bursts over 10 mbps.