The Sprint 4G coverage game plan last year was to cover 80 markets by the end of 2010. However, at 4 months into 2011, the Sprint 4G cities list count is 82.
With over a quarter of the year already past and only 2 cities worth of 4G coverage growth past 2010 goals, things aren’t looking optimistic.
The source of the problem?
It appears to be their 4G WiMAX partner Clearwire (marketed as Clear):
Clearwire is having serious money problems and will need to find a cash infusion to keep going past the near-term.
Why doesn’t Sprint just give Clearwire the cash it needs to expand the WiMAX network rapidly?
The theory goes that Sprint and Clearwire are in a struggle for control of the network, with Clearwire not relinquishing enough control to warrant a cash infusion from Sprint.
While this is all going on, Sprint’s 4G network expansion appears to be on hold. Clearwire has enough money to "maintain" its current network. But expansion into new cities has slowed to a trickle.
Checking Sprint 4G Coverage In Your City
There are two ways to see 4G (and 3G) coverage in your city:
If looking at strictly 4G coverage, Clear’s coverage viewer is much more user friendly thanks to 4G coverage overlay on a Google map. While you can also see 3G coverage using their tool, the shading of green makes it more difficult to see.
However, since they display only 3G and 4G coverage, there’s no potential confusion for 2G dialup like speed coverage being mixed in with mobile broadband coverage as AT&T does here.
If looking at strictly 3G coverage, Sprint’s tool cuts right to the chase with a clear street, state and country level view of nationwide coverage. 4G coverage is equally visible, but isn’t as aesthetically pleasing as Clear’s.
Either way, you’ll find the information you need. Click on any of the coverage maps below to open Sprint & Clear’s tools respectively in new windows:
The Bottom-Line On Sprint 4G Coverage
Whether or not Sprint will continue building out 4G coverage for a nationwide footprint in 2013 remains to be seen.
By the end of this year, they’ll make a decision on whether or not to transition from WiMAX to LTE. For now, Sprint 4G is still a strong offering where 4G coverage is available.
However, if you’re outside the coverage area, you may want to hold off on buying a 3G/4G hybrid device in hopes of being prepared for when it arrives to your area.
It’s better to wait until they make a decision on LTE. That way, if they do go the LTE route, you can purchase a WiMAX/LTE hybrid device that would support their current 3G network as well as 4G WiMAX and LTE networks.
Next, Sprint 4G Cities
Don’t feel like searching specifically to see if each and every city you’re interested in has 4G? Glance at the list to find out.
After that, I’ll cover which Sprint 4G broadband cards and mobile hotspots to get especially if you travel a lot.
Also in this review:
My whole concept to what’s to come of this 4G coverage with Sprint is that they would start losing a great deal of consumers who are outside of the 4G coverages zone and will start transitioning over to the competitors who does have 4G coverages because LTE is spreading across the nation like wild fire, and eventually if Sprint doesn’t act fast that’s what its going to boil down to .