Sprint to add 4G in SF on December 28

We knew it was coming, but Sprint confirmed today that its 4G WiMax network would go live in the San Francisco Bay Area on December 28. Sprint customers should be able to access the fast data speeds in most urban regions surrounding the bay including San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose.

Though the carrier has been testing WiMax in the region since September--we've already used it in the CNET offices in San Francisco--the official launch date means the service is ready for commercial use. Also, the International Telecommunication Union recently classified WiMax as an official 4G technology.

Indeed, the addition of San Francisco fills a much-needed hole in Sprint's 4G coverage map, which includes 70 markets and almost all of the country's major cities. Just yesterday Sprint added its final 2011 cities when it switched on 4G service in Denver and Bridgeport, Conn.