Sprint 4G is Spelled W I M A X

Image from Gizmodo

I am very  excited about the new Sprint 4G phone revealed at CTIA 2010: a mashup of Android OS-CDMA-WiFi-WiMAX and encased in an HTC Evo package (see  more sexy pictures here). It should be available this summer.

Why does the phone earn the 4G signifier? Not sure. This smartphone’s high-speed data bits pass through Clearwire-Sprint’s wireless data network (voice is still CDMA), which  is  based on more of a 3G standard, 802.16   or WiMAX.

Back in 2007, Clearwire and Sprint agreed to jointly build out a WiMAX  data network with Sprint using its 2.5Ghz spectrum band in larger cities, and Clearwire to cover  more underservered areas. As they say in the marketing copy you can achieve “DSL download speeds”, which max out at around 6 Mbps.

So the marketing of this as 4G is a little on the hype end of the spectrum.   However, the phone supports the newer 802.16e, “Mobile WiMAX” standard, that allows you to get your data on-the-run.

Sprint-Clearwire  4G  means  Mobile WiMAX.

Are the Sprint and Clearwire WiMAX networks fully upgraded to support 802.16e in your area right now?

Not quite. It seems that you can currently get Mobile WiMAX in 27 markets.

Make a note: For 2010, Sprint will be bringing the Mobile WiMAX service to these cities: Boston, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Kansas City, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, St. Louis and Washington, D.C.

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