Last week, Sprint quietly released an update to its online coverage map, allowing users to view device-specific coverage, depending on what flavor of 4G one’s phone or tablet prefers. Therefore, users with WiMAX-capable devices like the original HTC EVO 4G or the EVO 3D will see WiMAX coverage in yellow (see above), while users of LTE devices like the EVO 4G LTE will see LTE coverage in orange (see below). Other data coverage, like 3G or roaming, are shown in varying shades of purple.
Being able to differentiate between different 4G technologies based on one’s device will be very helpful, and certainly help alleviate the inevitable customer confusion that is sure to come. However, until Sprint’s LTE network is up and running, this also has one very large – and very negative – side effect. Basically, it now becomes extremely clear how far behind the curve Sprint is compared to Verizon, or even AT&T. Heck, even T-Mobile has quasi-4G in the form of HSPA+ in a lot more places than Sprint has WiMAX.
I might even say that these maps are somewhat painful.
Luckily, Sprint says its still on track to meet its end-of-2013 goals of blanketing most of its network in 4G, even if it hasn’t officially launched in any markets yet. And releasing a tool like this certainly makes it seem like Sprint is getting ready to finally announce LTE in its initial markets. So here’s to hoping that Sprint can stay on track!
[Sprint]
It’s kind of annoying that the color of the expressways is similar to the LTE color…Almost makes it look like the expressways are covered, unless you look very closely. In your sample map it looks a lot like the expressways in the Nati are covered with LTE (less so on Sprint’s site, but still close).
The lack of LTE coverage, and the fact that Sprint says that by the End of 2013, most markets will have LTE, gotta be cutting into sales of LTE devices by Customers who have Wimax coverage, and don’t want to give that up for what may be a very long wait. Hopefully not as long as the wait for Wimax
I guess because of the lack of Wimax coverage for a majority of Sprint’s customers, the aforementioned will not play a factor regarding delaying their purchase of an LTE device. Meaning they don’t have Wimax anyway, so may as well purchase an LTE device and wait for that Network to come online.
The shame and saddening part of all this is, Big Whoop, as Sprint is so far behind the rest of the carriers regarding LTE coverage, that this is what it has come down to:
- Customers cheering that they’re going to have LTE coverage soon, when most markets are scheduled to be up by the end of 2013, which is 1 1/2 years away from now, and that the other carriers have had it for quite sometime already have.
- LTE devices are on sale now, and won’t be able to take advantage of LTE coverage, what for some, may be another 1 1/2 years minimum.
This is some sorry state of affairs for Sprint Customers.
The other Carriers gotta be laughing their asses off watching…….
Btw, this guy’s a Fool, and I’m being nice about it. I copied this from an article I just read. It is from about ago.
The following sentence is the topic of the article:
Sprint isn’t too concerned that it is selling LTE devices but has yet to officially launch the high-speed service anywhere in the
U.S.
“I think it is much to-do about nothing,” Sprint VP Fared Adib told AllThingsD in an interview on Tuesday. Customers sign up for two-year contracts, Adib said, and it makes sense for customers who want to have the latest technology get a device that will meet their needs throughout that time. People should be more concerned if Sprint weren’t doing that, he said.
“We’ve done this before,” he said. “So has every other carrier.”
Adib noted that Sprint’s LTE deployment, which will start with a few cities around midyear, will be faster than the rollout of prior technologies, including its 2G, 3G and WiMax networks.
End of partial article.
Hey Adib, what Kool Aid are you selling?!
You forgot to mention that:
- a Majority of your Customers NEVER saw Wimax come to their Promised Market going on 2 years later. And they Never will see it.
- Many Customers Purchased Wimax devices, which were never able to utilize the Frequency they were intended to be used on.
- Your remarks Don’t give me Any Confidence or Reassurance that LTE will not end up in the Abyss, along with your Promised Wimax Network.
- By your remarks, you seem to be in Denial of your Failed Wimax Fiasco. I know it’s not good PR to bring the failure of Wimax up in the same sentence as LTE, but one can’t help but think about that, while you use your examples for the reason why Sprint should sell LTE devices, even though LTE is not available yet.
Of course you have no choice but to sell them, But it is the Irony of your comments that is Laughable. I can just see myself and others reading your same words, when Wimax devices were first made available, and the next Great Network which was Never to be, for Most Customers.
Even you gotta laugh at that Adib.
Here’s the link to the article referenced above. It’s from May 9, 2012:
http://community.sprint.com/baw/message/435199
I might be crazy but I think people are getting caught in a war of words and numbers. I’m not sure why people down T-Mobile for not being LTE? From what my friend shows me his SG2 gets download speeds of 7M-10M people complain about that? what else do you need?
End of 2013? No thanks. My company is switching to AT&T very soon.
You guys should be calling Sprint and demanding to get screwed harder becuse if you went out and bought a lte device and you think your going to get lte service haha then you might as well go join the moon colony that virgin mobile has on the moon base alpha 1 sprints step child,so u got that new phone lte evo just look at its just freak n Awsome and stuff, its so fast like pow ,u didn’t see all that I know ,I know its lte man ,my battery last all day long oops I wet my pants, its like ice cream and jelly beans ,I can multi task watch did u see that yea that’s what I thought ,yea yea they never came with that Wimax and it like cost more for the insurance ,and the 10 a month for smart phones is going up to 15-20 for lte phones, and they just poured some concrete in the middle of the town square and said its going to be the new lte tower but they ran out of concrete but they said they will be back ,yea man check the new coverage map see that bright Orange line on the highway thats the new service I think or something u called Sprint but they put me on hold for 1hr and I had to recharge my battery because my phone was roaming ,but they promised so I’m good cheif ,I sold my og evo and my 3d but I’m like future prof now cheif ,they said when its up and running ill be able to get like 25mbts down and like 4mbts up, ay can I use your phone to make a call I don’t get reception right on this side of the street …
U think u got screwed on Wimax u ain’t seen or felt anything yet wait till Sprint winds this one up …godzillia that eat tokyo …lte man get outta here haha ha
I couldn’t even get my airplane tickets round trip like they promised ,save your money get a B.L.T hamburger….lol
The maps are bogus anyway. Sprint claims most of my city is covered by 4G Wimax. LOL! Is it available? Yes. Is it available in the areas their coverage map says it is? Not even close. I only get 2 bars, very slow 3G, and no 4G at my house and it’s allegedly in the 4G coverage area.
Sprint still has more Wimax 4G than ATT’s so called LTE 4G. When Sprint had WiMax 4G that covered 120+ million subs, ATT and VZ had none. By the end of this year Sprint will have 120+ million POPs of 4G LTE and by this time next year they should have completed 200+ million POPs with LTE 4G, while Clearwire will have 4G LTE Advanced as auxillary for Sprint. Clearwire’s TD LTE will be four times faster than anything offered by VZ or ATT and they will have far more capacity.
China Mobile (680 million subscribers) is going with TD LTE hence you can expect a very healthy TD LTE eco system. Qualcomm just recently spent billions in India purchasing TD LTE spectrum.
I love how Sprint makes this map as confusing as possible. They make it so it looks like they are covered but then if you spend even a few seconds looking at the legend you can see that there is not much coverage. The way they use similar colors. Lets get Dan Hesse fired.