Sprint Coverage Area Review
Mobile Broadband
This is the 2008 Review. Click here for the 2009 Sprint Coverage Area Review.
The Sprint coverage area for mobile broadband is the largest. With good signal on most interstates, it's definitely a staple for road warriors.
It also works as a great alternative to satellite providers in rural areas especially in EVDO Rev. A (high speed) areas.
Personally, I tested it for
twice on the I-10, (from New Orleans to Jacksonville) without any noticeable drop in connectivity.
What's especially handy if you're on the road a lot (or even if you aren't), is the built in GPS available for certain broadband cards. Tie it in with Google Earth and you don't have to shell out extra cash each month for a GPS subscription.
If you're prone to getting lost a lot or planning on a remote camping trip, then this probably wouldn't be your best bet. I will say that it did help me find a Walmart when my tire exploded into shreds on the interstate.
I was able to map my location and find the nearest town for help. I got to the Tire and Lube section of
a super Walmart 30 minutes before it closed. If I didn't have the GPS, I'd have
been up the creek.
How often do things like this happen? Not very, but if they do, there's nothing like having the power to take control of the situation.
Generally, the Sprint coverage area for mobile broadband is better than the paired GPS. However, there is a premium GPS service that works indoors as well as out.
Why would go premium? Satellites find it tough locating you, when you're hiding in a house for one.
For an extra fee per month, magically they can.
Naturally, the Sprint coverage area doesn't cover everywhere. If you're curious as to how it is on routes you regularly travel or just by your house, Sprint has a coverage tool that I've found to be fairly accurate. If you're thinking about getting mobile broadband from Sprint, then definitely check the coverage and the free mini-course before locking yourself in a 2 year contract.
You can use the coverage tool below. If it doesn't display, you can find it here(pop-out window). Be sure to change the "coverage details" from "voice coverage" to "Data, Email and Multimedia" to see the mobile broadband coverage results.
Wondering how Sprint's coverage fairs against other providers? Take a look at
our carrier
comparison to find out. Keep reading to learn about Sprint's
reliability...
