Sprint to Offer 4G for 7 More Cities, Outpace Larger Networks
Sprint is continuing to lead the race to 4G among cellular networks with its announcement of seven more areas that will get 4G coverage by the end of the year.
Sprint previously promised 4G coverage to Boston, Denver, Kansas City, Houston, Minneapolis, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. by the end of the year. Now Cincinnati, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Miami, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City and St. Louis can also expect 4G download speeds in 2010 .
Sprint has already opened 4G coverage in 27 markets, "fulfilling its promise to light up major metropolitan areas with speeds that are up to 10 times faster than 3G ," according to a statement from the company.
4G connections have only been available through laptop cards and portable wireless hubs, though. The company has yet to launch a 4G-capable smartphone for its customers, although one is on the way. The next generation of data networks, 4G, is purported to bring ten times faster download speeds than the current 3G standard.
Sprint's announcement also hints at the company's new strategy: to beat out larger networks, such as Verizon and AT&T by skipping the 3G battle and jumping straight to 4G. In its statement, the company reminded that "Sprint is the first national wireless carrier to actually test, launch and market 4G technology."
Echoing the sentiment even more clearly, an email purportedly from Joe Whited, the Manager of Corporate Communications at Sprint, to employees says, "Let AT&T and Verizon yak about maps and 3G coverage, we're moving forward with what customers really want -- lightening [sic.] fast internet and uncapped 4G service."
Sprint remains the network with the largest 4G deployment, which puts it ahead in the coming 4G network battle. The company has plans to keep selling data cards and start selling laptops with built-in 4G capabilities. Sprint has also announced its first 4G phone will be available this summer.
