Sprint requests bids from LTE equipment suppliers

By on May 21, 2010 at 9:59 AM
Rumor May 21, 2010

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Furthering speculation that Sprint may be considering adopting LTE network technology to serve alongside WiMAX, on Wednesday the company issued a request for proposal (RFP) from 4G equipment manufacturers as it looks into which technologies will best its aging CDMA network. LTE equipment manufacturers were not excluded from the RFP. Sprint, which also co-operates a 4G WiMAX network with Clearwire, has recently been indicating an openness to LTE with its CEO Dan Hesse recently saying that Sprint could easily make the switch from WiMAX to LTE if necessary. Yesterday, Sprint’s Mathew Oommen, VP of device and technology development, said that Sprint needs to “future proof” its network and that it must “leverage all the assets we have in such a way that offers us the lowest cost per bit” while not becoming “prescriptive to a particular technology.” Kevin Packingham, senior VP of product technology, added to Oommen’s comments stating that “there’s nothing that prevents us from […] moving to LTE. We’re doing a technology evaluation and making a decision on our core network and how we want to evolve that going forward.” Whether or not Sprint will actually make a decision to adopt LTE remains to be seen, but if it does, Sprint would be the fourth U.S. carrier to do so after AT&T, Verizon and MetroPCS.

[Via Phone Scoop]

Read [RFP] Read [Open minded]

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36 Comments

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  • tim

    LOL the reality of what will happen when they loose roaming with Verizon with 4g must be setting in…..

    • mi_canuck

      no… look at it this way… it’s so that they can get roaming revenue when VZW or AT&T peeps (once they go LTE) are in Sprint areas… ;)

      • Davie199

        Now why would VZW need to roam off of Sprints 4G network when they just spent ~10 billion dollars on 700mhz spectrum that will cover 100% of the continental U.S.? I think they are realizing that WiMax may be a good decent idea now, but there really is no future in it.

      • Davie199

        Last post should have read decent idea. WiMax never really was a *good idea.

      • cheech

        not a good idea , really!! and you know better then Intel, clearwire, time warner cable, basically all the cable companies, ummm cisco just to name a few.

      • VwzGuy29

        Are you high? Where exactly is that? KC? Oh wait, Verizon has better service there to. Get real. They realized they signed on an inferior network to which they are getting blasted by Verizon and At&t for a poor network choice. They are switching because Verizon and At&t are moving to LTE.

        Sprint is say BAAAAAHHHH! Freaken Sheep.

  • mi_canuck

    Makes sense… They have to cover all bases…

  • randomsprintguy

    Just sucks that the most anticipated phone of the year is about to drop with something that at this time next year may be worthless.

    • mi_canuck

      it’s HTC… what do you expect… they themselves render most of their handsets redundant every 3-4 mos because they continuously release new $#!t… they just have no concept of pacing out the releases…

      • Boba Fat

        Not an Apple fanboy, but Apple releases one handset each year, HTC releases 5-6 (maybe more). I know it’s to fit everyone’s taste – i get that- but when you build one good handset, one a year is all you need.

    • cheech

      i disagree, even if Sprint does say we are going LTE by the time its all working and fully deployed we are talking about sometime in 2013 minimum, by then there will be a better phone than the Evo, so your safe with the evo 4g for about 3 years. so enjoy your first out of the gates wimax.

    • VwzGuy29

      The 4g Iphone is more anticipated than the Evo….just say’m

  • Me

    Let’s see:

    The upcoming Evo 4G handset only gets DATA in 4G via WiMax. If you are not in a covered area, the roaming agreements with Verizon, Alltel,etc. still kick in don’t they?

    On the rare occasion I am out of range of a Sprint EVDO Tower, I do not use much data.

    They are simple hedging and not running scared.

    They finally got a handset before Big Red (Bold 9650), the EVO 4G is coming, and their partnership with Clear gives them the flexibility the other carriers do not have.

    Let’s try giving Sprint “some” credit for not standing still.

    • BigBoy

      In my best Nelson… HA HA!

    • randomsprintguy

      I agree!

  • Jarrett

    So what about my new HTC EVO? My city currently isn’t a 4G spot. Does this mean that Sprint isn’t going to roll out 4G (WiMax) to my city?

  • StevenGlansburg

    I hope they do go to LTE. I hope all four big carriers go to LTE. There would be less fragmentation of phone styles and it would likely allow one phone to work on any carrier, like they do in places that are all GSM. I think Sprint is just realizing it would be stupid to use another CDMA-like technology that no one else in the world is using.

    • Sin City

      Again, this is for their core network, which is voice. What’s going to happen is Sprint/Clearwire going to use both LTE/WiMax in the long run. LTE for Voice, and WiMax for Data/Mobile Broadband. WiMax isn’t a CDMA technology, but I do agree that all four carriers using the same technology will lessen the fragmentation. This means crap if the carriers still have 5 year exclusives with certain handsets.

  • 10 dollar mandatory

    Just had to mention the fee one more time :) Anyway, does this mean if they switch to LTE the phone will render useless due to the hardware? Since it’s only for WiMax. Confused…Although, my area won’t see this in my 2 yr extra $240 contractual terms.

  • Feech

    Well if they are going to do it now would be the time. Don’t throw money into building a WIMAX network out only to come back 3 years later to go LTE. Right now, they have about 1 million WIMAX customers on the network. A small amount compared to how many potential customer they could have.

  • Jimmy

    I like Sprint and it would be nice to have all major US carriers using the same technology (I guess that would be LTE). But Sprint really needs to clarify what this move would mean for EVO owners.

  • Sin City

    Why people keep mentioning the EVO like WiMax will disappear immediately? Sprint is looking at LTE Advanced not current LTE. WiMax isn’t going nowhere for a very long time, and if anything, Sprint/Clearwire will be using both technologies. Ask for clarification in 2012/2013, not 2010.

    • Jimmy

      I’m sorry, but as a potential ignorant customer, I want clarification from *Sprint* *before* I buy… rather from some dude on a msg board ;-)

      • Scorpeo

        Sin City is correct! ;)

  • Roger A

    I love the misleading title – Sprint requests bids from LTE equipment suppliers

    Then further down in the article

    “…the company issued a request for proposal (RFP) from 4G equipment manufacturers as it looks into which technologies will best its aging CDMA network. LTE equipment manufacturers were not excluded from the RFP. ”

    Meaning Sprint is not requesting bids from LTE suppliers, it means that they are requesting bids from ANY 4G suppliers and if LTE happens to be part of that, then they will consider it.

    Please report responsibly and do not sensationalize titles that need not be.

    • robnhl

      I appreciate the scoops that show up on here, but I have to agree that many times the headline and tone of many BGR stories do not match up with what is in the source material they use. Maybe some of their bloggers should attend some journalism classes at a local community college.

  • Chris

    I sent this into BGR last night at midnight. I am about to get an EVO 4G and it had better work for 2 years or I am going to be pissed! If they switch to LTE before then they had better give all us EVO owners a free phone credit. Do you hear me loud and clear SPRINT? Don’t screw over your peeps or they will turn on you big time.

    • Sin City

      If BGR had a text to voice application, you would sound like a idiot. WIMAX ISN’T GOING ANYTHING FOR A VERY LONG TIME. Typing in caps is so obnoxious, but normal text isn’t working for you. Sprint is looking for a replacement for it’s CDMA network, and made a proposal to any 4G supplier. You’re not going to have WiMax as of now, then next year, it completely disappears. Use your head.

  • Sin City

    smh@anything. Anywhere.

  • Sin City

    I’m happy that this shows that Sprint is replacing the EVDO Rev. A with something else. EVDO Rev B, SVDO, LTE Advanced, HSPA+, who knows. Personally, I think it’s LTE-Advanced they will choose or TD-LTE.

  • Roger A

    For those of you worried about the EVO and other WiMAX oriented 4G products.

    Both Sprint and Clear/Clearwire have been vocal they are committed to WiMAX. Contrary to recent news of the contract negotiations with Intel, Sprint/Clearwire has no intent to leave WiMAX or its users in the dust. They are however looking for future network upgrade paths that might include WiMAX 2, or LTE. They also have stated that they do have enough spectrum to operate both networks simultaneously giving the most choice to consumers.

    When Sprint changed to CDMA2000 (1xRTT Vision) from CDMA-IS95 (non GPS phones, non 1xPhones) they supported the former network for a few years, this allowed them to migrate customers over from one to another. They did this easily by not allowing new activations on the former network, and by pulling all available non-1xRTT phones off shelves to get new and existing upgrades to move to the newer network. Unlike AT&T’s fiasco with GSM/TDMA, this was done rapidly and smoothly by Sprint without threat that the former legacy customers would be shut off.

    So when it comes to WiMAX and the EVO, know that by the time your 1 year upgrade or 2 year upgrade come around, LTE if selected by Sprint and implemented will still be in the early stages and you will not be left out in the cold.

  • eggknee

    IF you’re worried about the EVO not having 4G data access after a POTENTIAL network conversion to LTE, I’m pretty sure that would be a “material impact” and you would be able to get out of your contract. Doubtful that Sprint would make a move like that and have all of the EVO purchasers free to leave.

    • Roger A

      Not only that but after the billions Sprint/Clear and other investors have put into WiMAX, I doubt they would just kill it off overnight before actually resigning new agreements with “LTE” if it were to happen with the same companies that invested in WiMAX (Comcast, Brighthouse, Google), additionally they would also want to make back their investment and break even and to do that they would need to operate but maybe not maintain the network for a few years – think Nextel iDEN (same story).

    • Scorpeo

      How many times does it have to be said, Sprint are only interested in LTE-Advance, Sprint wants to move voice from CDMA. Wimax will remain as Sprints core service for data. When Sprint get’s LTE-Advanced in 2012, they will not need any roaming agreements. Sprints conversion to LTE can be done via software. LTE-Advance is compatible with Sprints current network.

  • 3 Phones Jugglin

    People need to remember that Wimax & LTE can Coexist.

    In fact the Hardware that they use are the same…Hesse stated that its only a difference in Software. Sprint Can use Wimax for Data & LTE For voice. That is the advantage that Sprint gave itself by building out its Wimax network….by the time its complete they will have the option.

    Wimax will be sufficient for most peoples needs within the U.S. LTE can satisfy peoples gripes about international use. Wimax is Actually grown more in Asia and LTE in Europe..so they will always both exist.

    Dont Worry about your EVOs as its only ONE PHONE. By the time Sprint makes their Decision there will be an EVO 3 by then…and all you would presumably need is an Update through Sprint…..but u probably wont have ur Evo 3 years from now.

    • VwzGuy29

      No, thats not true. Its not even close to being true. Hesse said that and Lucent pretty much laughed at how stupid his comment was. Research the tech, it isn’t even close to the same.

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