And the resulting lack of any significant competition for each standard. As I understand it, all the other markets are all GSM. Correct?
Next generation 4G network? OK sounds good.
But, infact it's merely 10mbit wimax. Even worse is in typical use it seems to be achieving only around 4mbit! That is a really pathetic showing of 4G.
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/mobile-gadgeteer/review-sprint-overdrive-rocks-4g-at-more-than-double-3g-speeds/2463
Maybe this is faster than EVDO and AT&T's overloaded network. But by international standards, Sprint 4G is much slower than many 3G networks.
HSPA 3G. Telstra in Australia is at 42mbit, Vodafone in Hong Kong has 28mbit, Rogers in Canada is at 21mbit, Those are the world's fastest 3G networks, and real world speeds are around half the full rate.
Scanedavian TeliaSonera is already operating LTE at 50mbit in Oslo and Stockholm. Now that's a 4G network!
AT&T and T-Mobile have access to the best 3G technology with the standards their networks are using, they could easily bypass Sprint 4G in speed if they wanted to. I guess they're content to be mediocre. Which is really the problem with US carriers, isn't it. Size is no excuse, note Canada and Australia.

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