Sprint to deploy 4G LTE network early next year

By on Sep 27, 2011 at 8:20 PM
mobile September 27, 2011

Sprint will deploy its 4G LTE network early next year and has already started to deploy the required equipment, CNET reported on Tuesday. Reportedly, Sprint is also already testing the network, although sources speaking to CNET did not reveal where the tests were occurring. The move is enabled by Sprint’s “Network Vision” plans, which it first discussed in December 2010. During our recent tour of Sprint’s facilities in Overland Park, Kansas, when Sprint CEO Dan Hesse confirmed that the carrier’s 4G plans would be discussed this fall, we were able to snap a few photos of an Ericsson E-Node Base Transceiver System (BTS). Sprint explained at the time that, should it decide to move to an LTE network, engineers just had to add an LTE card to the BTS and perform the required tests to get a new network up and running. Sprint has also already announced a deal with Lightsqured to deliver 4G LTE support to its customers, although it has not yet been discussed when the roll-out will occur. BGR will be attending a Sprint “Strategy Update” in New York City on October 7th where we expect to hear more about Sprint’s future 4G plans.

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24 Comments

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  • Mr_jaurez

    Sprint FTP!

  • http://www.thegadgetgurus.net Vic

    “…engineers just had to add an LTE card to the BTS…”

    Dammit BGR, do you guys ever bother to check your damn grammar? Seriously, just write your articles in Word, spell and grammar check, then copy and paste.

    • Riley Martin

      BGR…Bad Grammar Retards

  • http://about.me/brandonmccall brandonmccall

    Not mad.

  • Anonymous

    Oh Sprint, you broke fickle whore. Just make sure it doesn’t break our GPS. Sayin…

  • http://www.allegrotechie.blogspot.com Allegrotechie

    YESYESYESYESYES!!

  • Anonymous

    I knew that it was a good idea not to upgrade me phone yet.

  • http://www.droiddoes.com/ Norm

    NGR (Norn Genius Report) has leaked that Sprint is doing this at Apples request for the iPhone 5 AND 6 that will be LTE

    • DaHarder

      ‘Norn’… Can’t even spell your own screen name correctly – Really?

      Anyway… More LTE goodness for the US!

      (interested in seeing if it’s as fast as Verizon’s)

    • Jonathan Gagger

      NGR….Norm Gets Raped

  • C Culp87

    Hmmm should i use Wimax, which drains my battery and has crappy coverage…..or LTE, which drains my battery and has crappy coverage…..I JUST DONT KNOW WHICH TO PICK!!!

    • DaHarder

      …use a 4G/LTE switch app/widget to keep the device in 3G until faster speeds are needed.

  • Mertcury46l

    I can’t wait to see how many post paid subscribers sprint lost this quarter, they should report a month from now. the only thing that can save them is gaining the iphone.

    • Anonymous

      Really! Why can’t you wait to see how many post paid subscribers Sprint is going to lose this quarter. Why do you seem happy about this? Is there something wrong with you?Just shut up!!!

      • http://www.facebook.com/DIVCorp Corey Fisher

        Umm, really? They just added the whole city of Houseton, TX, which alone is 100,000+ activations… Plus, they are getting the iPhone and initial projections show 4 million additional subscribers simply due to having an unlimited and cheaper iPhone, I’m definitely switching for that reason, lol, for proof. What world are you from? They’ve gained over a million new subsribers over the past year…… look it up.

  • Anonymous

    Most of these DWEEBS leaving comment MUST NOT BE TRUE SPRINT CUSTOMERS because if you was then you already know that if your walking around with the EVO 3D, PHOTON 4G, NEXUS S4G, EPIC TOUCH 4G that all these devices are future prove understanding the new network coming on board. Sprint made sure all these devices would need is and software upgrade. So don’t worry when they turn on the LTE SWITCH it will be all about where that will be it…..

    • http://twitter.com/jonasyon Jona Sy

      I’m an Evo toting Sprint customer and this is news to me. From what I understand, the Wimax chip and LTE chip are two different things.

      • Anonymous

        There was some talk about the phone radios being able to be upgraded to LTE but considering the issues VZW is having deploying LTE phones I think it would be safe to say WiMax phones won’t get LTE.. Id rather have Wimax right now anyway.. LTE phones are bulkier and buggier and the deployable speeds are the same.. 

    • Anonymous

      It’s hard to tell without credible source that if these phones are really upgradable. One thing is certain even if these phones are upgradable Carrier’s would still force you to buy newer model (contract) and not offer upgrade.

    • Anonymous

      Not. If all it took was a software upgrade on the phone side then the same would be true on the network side.  Basically a cell phone is a miniature version of a cell – site. It has a radio (transmitter + receiver) and an antenna.  Sprint has to change the hardware and software on the network side of the equation, and they have to do the same on the subscriber equipment side.  

      Can anyone name the phone that was upgradeable to a new radio tech?  Never happened in the cellular world.  Verizon uses the same (CDMA) network technology as Sprint. The Xoom was launched without LTE.  No OTA upgrade was offered. Customers had to send their Xoom in for a hardware/software upgrade.

      Sprint faces an uphill battle to deploy an all new LTE network. A huge capital expenditure for new RBS cabinets, new MTSO gear, power upgrades, fiber backhaul, and antenna changeouts will have Sprint scrambling for new sources of cash.  Anyone who has glanced at their quarterly reports can see that they are still losing money.  Remember the customer always pays for everything. Unless Sprint raises it’s rates, they will have little money to spend on network expansion.

      Eventually both T-Mobile and Sprint will have LTE, but by then Verizon and AT&T will have stolen the market.

  • Anonymous

    i think most people who think there is some magical OTA that would convert a Wimax radio into a LTE is seriously dreaming…why would they do that for free when they could just make people renew and buy new phones? which they are obviously going to do.

    Also in regards to phasing out one technology to another…it definitely takes time. I think it took Ma Bell like 6 years to roll over their old TDMA service to GSM which at the time GSM sucked balls. Sprint would need to holdout on Wimax for at least another 4 years while it starts to upgrade to LTE…I expect a Sprint LTE device to be shown off at CES 2013. Sprints Wimax coverage is seriously lacking now, and I live in San Francsco! 

    • Anonymous

      Yes, it will take years for Sprint to execute on it’s upgrade. Sure all they have to do is “swap” in a LTE card, but that card swap has to include a LTE radio that is in a RBS cabinet that they don’t have in their sites.  Once they have installed the new cabinets at all their sites, then they can run EVDO and LTE in the same cabinet.  

      Do the math (1000′s of sites) x (new RBS cabinets) + (antennas) – (a cash strapped Sprint) = 4-5yrs before LTE is available to a majority of Sprint customers.T-Mobile has just started a FOA installing the new E// cabinets, so that when they are ready to move to LTE, they can have a mix of UMTS/LTE radios in the same cabinet.

  • Anonymous

    Hmm…I know people working on AT&T’s LTE deployment. I have friends working on Verizon’s LTE expansion.  People in the industry I know that were working on the Clear network have not built any new sites in months. T-Mobile is pushing the expansion of their 42mb/s network.  I don’t know anyone working on Sprint’s “soon to be deployed” 4G network. More smoke and mirrors from the master of promotion D.Hesse? btw, Lightsquared investors have been duped. The interference issues have sunk any chance of them being anything more than a MVNO for Sprint.

  • JoeData

    I don’t understand Sprint?  I thought you guys were the first company to have 4G and a 4G phone…what happened?  Did you realize it wasn’t a 4G Network and decided to switch?

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