Sprint users have been denied the 4G LTE experience for too long, while Verizon and AT&T scoffed at them with their nationwide networks for the latest spectrum. Now, finally, 4G LTE has started to pop up in a few areas of key U.S. cities, where users may switch to it. These areas can be found in San Francisco, D.C., New York and some cities in Florida. Sprint has not announced a specific list of the areas that have the service, but users can access maps on the Sprint official website to find the nearest 4G spot.
Roni Singleton, Sprint representative was quoted saying that consumers are welcome to use the service wherever it is available, even before it is officially launched. Regarding the official launch Singleton reportedly confirmed a San Francisco peninsula area launch in a few months. This is the same estimate the company had given in October last year and the delay has meant that it is lagging behind competitors by a large gap.
But the company seems to have sprung into action now and has laid out a clear Network Vision Plan. According to this plan, the company is going to close down the iDEN-based Nexel network, migrate to 4G LTE and also enhancing its 3G CDMA reach. In total, this plan will amount to $4 to $5 billion.
Currently, Sprint’s LTE service is available in 49 markets, and the company hopes to reach another 200. Singleton said that they would keep adding more markets progressively, aiming at nationwide coverage. The first phase would include 22 markets, including San Francisco. Sprint is holding off making an official announcement about the areas that already have LTE and the timeline about when the rest will get it until it can get robust infrastructure in place.
Not being able to meet commitments has earned the company a bad reputation in the past. Initially, the company was hoping to have nationwide coverage by the end of 2013, however that seems out of reach at this moment. It is set to reach 250 million users by the start of 2014. Sprint spokesperson Kelly Schlageter explained that instead of setting up a site and then turning it off after tests, the company decided to leave it open so that users can explore it if they wish.
