14 DAY TRIAL // Wireless carrier Sprint, the first 4G operator in the United States, is reportedly considering LTE as an alternative to WiMAX, the technology that powers the Clearwire network via which the Sprint 4G services are offered at the moment. Previous rumors on the matter suggested that Sprint might be considering the possibility to move completely from WiMAX to LTE, yet it seems that the carrier is actually thinking about using both 4G standards at the same time.
On Wednesday, the company issued a request for proposal (RFP) from 4G equipment manufacturers as it is searching for technologies to improve its old CDMA network, and LTE suppliers were included in the proposal too. The move follows a recent statement from the company's CEO Dan Hesse, which said that Sprint would be capable of easily moving from WiMAX to LTE in case it needs to do so. Sprint's CDMA network operates in 800MHz and 1900MHz spectrum.
“There's nothing that prevents us from... moving to LTE,” said Kevin Packingham, senior VP of Product and Technology Development at Sprint, speaking at a LTE event in Amsterdam, reports Light Reading. “We're doing a technology evaluation and making a decision on our core network and how we want to evolve that going forward.” Moreover, he notes that WiMAX and LTE could work together if necessary, “We don't see WiMax and LTE as being mutually exclusive.”
In case Sprint does plan on moving towards LTE, it would become the fourth wireless carrier in the United States to make the move, following Verizon Wireless, AT&T and MetroPCS. Previously, the carrier was rumored to plan upgrading its airwaves to EV-DO Rev. B. Moving to a next generation network would certainly prove beneficial for Sprint, yet it remains to be seen whether it decides to go only for LTE alone, or it will keep a hand on the already rolled-out WiMAX network too.