Prediction: Sprint To Do Smart Thing and Move to LTE (First of Two Sprint Posts Today)

There has been talk that Sprint is nearing a deal with Clearwire on use of its WiMax network. All along, there was also talk that Sprint might try to find an LTE route. I think they are more than posturing. Sprint really has to go LTE eventually. That’s my prediction.

Heck, even Clearwire will do that as well because in the US, it just makes sense to do that.

First of all, if Sprint stays with WiMax, it will effectively be isolated, more so than T-Mobile for years to come. And though T-Mobile’s 3G network doesn’t worth with virtually anyone else’s in the US, it is still a GSM network, a vastly more popular network than CDMA and WiMax.

And from what execs at both Sprint and Clearwire has indicated in the past, transitioning from WiMax to LTE is financially feasible. As a matter of fact, Clear has “clearly” started work on that as far back as fall 2010. These things take time but I do see it happen.

So I suspect that more than just about financial terms, Clear and Sprint might have come to an understanding that they’ll work towards LTE in the next couple of years. Also, Sprint has provided clues in recent weeks about their LTE future.

And the momentum is building in that direction.


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