Sprint Nextel will offer a tri-mode phone that offers CDMA, WiFi and WiMAX connectivity, and may launch its Sprint 4G service in markets that it previously has not disclosed.
"We haven't announced specific timing or any more details other than to say we expect to offer a 4G phone on our road map for 2009-2010," a Sprint spokeswoman told Unstrung. Previous reports have hinted that this tri-mode phone may use Google's Android platform, but that has never been confirmed by Sprint.
Sprint has not said what the exact schedule of the its 4G launches will be. However, the spokeswoman said that Sprint may launch in markets it has not previously talked about. "The list in the release isn't necessarily inclusive of everything for 2009 and 2010," she said.
In late March, Sprint announced a list of markets where it was going to launch its Sprint 4G services, which mirrored the buildout schedule of WiMAX service provider Clearwire. Sprint will operate as an MVNO to Clearwire, in which it holds a 51 percent stake.
Sprint said at the time that in 2009 it would launch Sprint 4G service in Atlanta, Chicago, Charlotte, Dallas/Ft.Worth, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Portland and Seattle. Sprint also said it plans to launch service in Boston, Houston, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., in 2010.
For more:
- see this Unstrung article [1]
Related Articles:
Sprint mirrors Clearwire with 4G rollout plans [2]
Clearwire [3] will launch at least eight markets in 2009
The pros and cons of Clearwire [4]
New Clearwire [5] announces 'Clear' brand
Sprint [6] launches 3G/4G dual-mode modem
Sprint [7] to launch CDMA-WiMAX products
Links:
[1] http://www.unstrung.com/document.asp?doc_id=174189&piddl_msgid=184153#msg_184153
[2] http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/sprint-outlines-4g-rollout-plans/2009-03-25
[3] http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/clearwire-will-launch-least-eight-markets-09/2009-03-05?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss&cmp-id=OTC-RSS-FW0
[4] http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/pros-and-cons-clearwire/2009-01-12?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss&cmp-id=OTC-RSS-FW0
[5] http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/new-clearwire-announces-clear-brand/2008-12-01?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss&cmp-id=OTC-RSS-FW0
[6] http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/sprint-launches-3g-4g-dual-mode-aircard/2008-12-17
[7] http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/sprint-launch-cdma-wimax-products/2008-12-05