Sprint expands 4G network; planning first 4G phone
Sprint 3G/4G USB Modem U300
(Credit: Sprint Nextel)Sprint made history in September 2008 when it became the first major US carrier to launch a 4G WiMax network in Baltimore. This week it expanded its coverage to three more cities and announced plans to launch 17 additional new markets in 2009.
- Abilene, Texas
- Amarillo, Texas
- Austin, Texas
- Boise, Idaho
- Bellingham, Wash.
- Charlotte, N.C.
- Corpus Christi, Texas
- Greensboro, N.C.
- Killeen-Temple, Texas
- Lubbock, Texas
- Maui, Hawaii
- Midland-Odessa, Texas
- Raleigh, N.C.
- Salem, Ore.
- San Antonio, Texas
- Waco, Texas
- Wichita Falls, Texas
Sprint promises that its 4G network, which the carrier built in partnership with Clearwire, will deliver peak downlink speeds of more than 10Mbps and average downlink speeds of 3Mbps to 6Mbps. This should be three to five times faster than the carrier's current 3G EV-DO network.
Customers can purchase several 4G USB modems and a mobile broadband router. Unlimited 4G data plans go for $69.99, a $10 premium over comparable 3G plans. Alternatively, you could use the Samsung Mondi even if it's not sold by Sprint.
Sprint hasn't announced plans for 4G phones, but Sprint is rumored to be testing such handset from Samsung. Both companies are members of the Open Handset Alliance which is backing Google's Android mobile operating system.
Even though Sprint has confirmed an Android phone for 2009, I would be surprised to see a 4G handset. There's no doubt Android that would be a perfect match for this high-speed network, but I don't think we will see a 4G handset until 2010. On the other hand, Sprint could surprise us this holiday season. It will have 20 markets getting its new high-speed network, and a 4G phone would be the perfect flagship device to promote it.
That Verizon LTE standard is supposed to hit 100, and even that's only "3.9"G.
Just doubling the peak isn't worthy of a whole new generation. That will have us chasing dozens of standards and trying to rebuild entire networks every other year. I think jumping to 100 is quite a stretch, but the next generation should be at least in the 20-25 area.
what about ohio :(
haha
We in the real world will leave you dependents to telling each other how "important" you are.
What the Hell are you a terrorist? planning an attack? no..your just a no lifer who lives in kansas and wishes you could see the city and expeience the good life. Ha! go milk your cows or something buddy.
However,
NYC, LA, Chicago with combine population about 15 million. but the area is about same as one-third of the Texas cities list above. they will cost less to build cell towers to cover the same area but with more per-area revenues.
What sprint did just not making business sense.
That aside, it makes more business sense for sprint to roll out in larger areas because of higher population. They will gather more customers that way. Plus, its a higher technical challenge so its a good way to flush out problems.
I am sure they take many factors into consideration for expanding their 4G network, like geography (did you notice any trend) and I am sure property value is way down in the list (did you notice that too?)
A new LTE network would be great, but there are several problems with AT&T service already. Their network is at the breaking point. At the Paul McCartney concert in the new Cowboy Stadium (a fantastic show), there were at least 40,000 people inside along with me. My iPhone 3G was switching off from Edge to No Service at all. Only towards the end of the concert did the cellular congestion begin to clear. Still, I couldn't get a decent 3G connection until I made my way back to the car. It was just as bad when I traveled to Grand Prairie for one of those Hannity Freedom Concerts. Maybe 18-20,000 people were present at the Nokia Theater, and I was five rows back from the stage. Low bars on Edge there. Given that I live in North Texas, where AT&T is currently based, shouldn't I be able to get better service at home base? The network should be able to handle large numbers of people, but it doesn't because the company refuses to act and fix their problems, so it would seem. Building a new network on top of that may or may not work so well for them; they'd have to expand and rebuild their current setup to provide effective service. They need to revamp the entire thing.
I used to be on Sprint, but both their service and customer service were lackluster during my years with them. However, WiMax service will be rolling out here soon, and performance is promising. I doubt I'll actually use it, but it's nice to be able to consider the option. The speeds in Baltimore exceed my DSL service ever so slightly in download speeds. And when the upload speeds are ranging from 2-3mbps, well, that's great. I could use that. I'm still waiting on U-Verse...
-BMF
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by talley4201
December 12, 2009 9:19 AM PST
- The reason your city does not have 4g yet is probably because Clearwire was not there before. I'm in Midland, TX and we have had Clearwire for several years, so since this is a joint venture between Clearwire and Sprint we got it b4 the non-Clearwire cities.
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(29 Comments)and hey at least in most places you at least have 3g, we didnt even have that here in midland before.