Together with their 4G partner Clearwire, Sprint has been hard at work since 2008 slowly rolling out the first 4G wireless network in the United States. But the question has always remained: what good is a 4G network if there are no 4G devices available to use with it? According to an article on Forbes, Sprint has now confirmed that their first WiMax 4G device will be available to consumers in the first half of 2010, and answering all of our questions. Well, almost all of them.

We still don't know yet what the device will be, but there is a lot of speculation that it will be the HTC Supersonic, a device that was first mentioned a few months ago. According to a few tipsters, the Supersonic will have a 4.3" display, an HD2 type (very thin) shell, a snapdragon processor and of course WiMax. The interesting twist for many is that the Supersonic is rumored, and shown in more than one leaked picture, to be running Android 2.1 with the usual HTC Sense overlay.

With Sprint still losing customers on an regular basis, their first WiMax device could not come at a better time. Their two year long investment into the future will clearly put them in front of Verizon and AT&T in the U.S. for 4G capabilities, and hopefully help their struggle against monthly churn. The good news for consumers is that once the first WiMax handest is released, there will certainly be more, not too far behind. Sprint CEO, Dan Hesse, told Forbes that they are working with "several equipment manufacturers that will embed 4G capability into dozens of devices." Sprint and Clearwire are currently able to offer 4G services to 30 million people in 27 markets, but are planning a major push this year and anticipate bringing the total number to 120 million people, by adding Boston, New York, San francisco and Washington.

As an Android user I am definitely hoping that the device that Sprint is referring to this summer is the Supersonic, and I am exicted to see what other devices will follow. Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Source: Engadget

According to AndroidGuys, a tipster has reported that Sprint may just be looking to Walmart for help in providing WiMax coverage throughout the U.S. According to the source, Walmart would be adding WiMax towers on top of all of their stores, thereby catapulting Sprint to near nationwide 4G coverage in one fell swoop. Because of the placement of the towers, Sprint could save a ton of money in zoning and the cost associated with erecting free-standing towers.

With LTE just a few months away from a global implementation, and specifically for Verizon and AT&T in the U.S., this would be a huge addition to Sprint's current lead in the 4G race. Sprint knows they need the head start and are obviously hoping to get as many new contracts as possible prior to thier competition even getting off the ground, as evidenced by their latest round of commercials and marketing information. We also know that Sprint has plans to release WiMax enabled handsets in 2010 and the rumored partnership with Walmart would certainly help them provide their 4G service to a much larger demographic.

I don't know if the source is right on or just plain off his rocker, but as a Sprint customer and a resident in Walmart country, I sure am hopeful. Let us know you think in the comments.

At this point though, the only fact that we have is the screenshot of Sprint's inventory system.

Source: BGR

Phone calls cost money. As consumers, we have the option to pay as you go, pay for a set amount of minutes per month, or choose  an unlimited amount of minutes per month. But the amount of calls that the cell company can process is a static amount and is expensive and costs the same no matter which phone plan a user opts for. More phones calls for a set amount of space raises the cost of handling phone calls.

The amount of calls that they can process per chunk of their finite spectrum allocated to them by the FCC is important. The more calls they can handle with less resources frees up space for more bandwidth-intensive applications like internet access. Higher speeds and more bandwidth are things that we all can enjoy.

For U.S. Carriers that use GSM as their basis of cellular communication (AT&T and T-Mobile), the move to 4G via LTE is especially important. Besides the speed gains (as high as 100 Mbps for download) and advertising advantage versus 3G competitors, LTE will allow its users (Verizon Wireless (who is making the switch from CDMA-based to GSM-based technologies for 4G), AT&T, and T-Mobile in the U.S.) to package more mobile phone calls per 1 Mhz of space then ever was possible before.

In a perfect and simplified world, basic GSM (2.5G) technology can move between 4 and 8 calls per 1 Mhz. Not bad in our perfect simplified world. Moving up to UMTS (3G) nets 12 calls per Mhz while HSPA (3.5G) can get 24 calls per Mhz. That is all good and dandy, but what about the 4G bringer, LTE? Anywhere from 50 to 80 calls per Mhz.

As you can see, LTE is going to be a major upgrade for both carriers and consumers as more calls per Mhz means lower costs for carriers which will (hopefully) translate to lower bills and higher speeds for consumers. For those who would like to get down and dirty with the details, please go to the source link for a more in-depth explanation into how these numbers were figured out.

Source- MobileSociety.com

"We have already made a significant financial investment, and at this point we think the best way we can continue to add value is through continued product and strategic cooperation," Google spokesman Andrew Pederson said in an email.

As of this posting, both Clearwire and Google stocks were up for the day.

Source: Reuters

Source: DSLReports ]]> http://www.ppcgeeks.com/2009/11/09/clearwire-to-get-another-1-5-billion/feed/ 2 http://www.ppcgeeks.com/2009/11/02/sprint-launches-4g-in-multiple-cities/ http://www.ppcgeeks.com/2009/11/02/sprint-launches-4g-in-multiple-cities/#comments Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:55:06 +0000 mindfrost82 http://www.ppcgeeks.com/?p=1156 Today Sprint announced the launch of 4G WiMAX in multiple cities, including: Chicago, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and Cary, N.C., and Greensboro, Winston-Salem and High Point, N.C.

"Sprint 4G will launch later this month in the Texas cities of Austin and San Antonio."

"In 2010, Sprint expects to launch service in multiple markets, including Boston, Houston, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C."

Source: Sprint Newsroom ]]> http://www.ppcgeeks.com/2009/11/02/sprint-launches-4g-in-multiple-cities/feed/ 6 http://www.ppcgeeks.com/2009/10/22/sprint-and-clearwire-announce-more-cites-dates-for-4g-launch/ http://www.ppcgeeks.com/2009/10/22/sprint-and-clearwire-announce-more-cites-dates-for-4g-launch/#comments Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:30:01 +0000 rainfreak http://www.ppcgeeks.com/?p=1012

Today Sprint and Clearwire, their WiMax partner, announced several cities and completion dates for their 4G rollout collaboration. Philadelphia is expected to launch within a matter of the "next few weeks." November will prove to be a good month for Chicago, Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh, Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth and San Antonio, as they are the next in line. Seattle and Tacoma will follow in early December. Rounding out the year will be Honolulu and Maui.

Sorry if your city isn't listed but Sprint and Clearwire have not released their schedule for 2010 yet, so here's hoping it's on the list when it is made available.

Source: PhoneScoop ]]> http://www.ppcgeeks.com/2009/10/22/sprint-and-clearwire-announce-more-cites-dates-for-4g-launch/feed/ 2