It's been nine months since Sprint first announced plans to launch its 4G LTE network, but as of yesterday, that network is officially live. Sprint celebrated that fact with a press release today, and in it the carrier has revealed that its LTE service is live in the five markets that it previously announced as well as several cities surrounding those areas. In total, Sprint says that its LTE network is now live in 15 U.S. cities. Here's the full list:
For Sprint customers not located in one of those markets, the Now Network says that it plans to launch its 4G LTE network in additional areas in the second half of 2012. It also expects to have "largely completed" its nationwide LTE network by the end of 2013. For now, though, the 15 cities listed above are part of a pretty exclusive club. Enjoy it, folks! As part of your celebration, why not hop into the comments section below and tell us what kind of speeds you're getting on the newly-activated Sprint LTE network?
Sprint 4G LTE Launch Extends to 15 Cities Throughout Portions of Georgia, Kansas, Missouri and Texas
The all-new, high-speed data network rollout – known as Network Vision – spreads to communities surrounding Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City and San Antonio and is also now available in Waco, Texas
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), July 16, 2012 - Sprint (NYSE:S), the first national wireless carrier to introduce 4G service in 2008, today announced that it is delivering the speed and power of an all-new 4G LTE network to 15 cities surrounding the Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City and San Antonio markets. Because of an accelerated build schedule for the Network Vision program, Sprint will also launch a 4G LTE network for residents in and around Waco, Texas.
“Sprint and our vendors have been deploying Network Vision sites all across the country for the last several months and we are thrilled to deliver our new network to our customers today in and around Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, San Antonio and Waco,” said Bob Azzi, senior vice president-Network, Sprint. “This new network is performing extremely well and customers should find it consistent, reliable and really fast.”
Today, Sprint 4G LTE coverage can be found in the following areas and will continue to expand in the coming months:
Atlanta
Athens, Ga.
Calhoun, Ga.
Carrollton, Ga.
Newnan, Ga.
Rome, Ga.
Dallas
Fort Worth, Texas
Granbury-Hood County, Texas
Houston
Huntsville, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
Waco, Texas
Kansas City, Mo.-Kan.
St. Joseph, Mo.
For detailed 4G LTE maps, providing coverage information right down to the address, please visit www.sprint.com/coverage. Customers are encouraged to check back often, as the maps will be updated when coverage in these markets is enhanced.
Sprint plans to launch additional 4G LTE markets in the second half of 2012, which will be announced later this year. By the end of 2013, Sprint expects to have largely completed the build out of its all-new 4G LTE nationwide network – with an all-new enhanced 3G network – covering 250 million people across the United States.
Network Vision Means an All-New 3G & 4G Network
To better meet the growing voice and data demands of wireless customers, Sprint is building an all-new, nationwide 3G and 4G LTE network through the Network Vision program. Whether a Sprint customer is using a smartphone to share a picture or to check the Web, Sprint 4G LTE will make it faster.
Coupling the speed of 4G LTE with the industry’s only truly unlimited data plan for smartphones makes Sprint the best choice in wireless.* Additionally, the new network will provide significant enhancements to Sprint 3G service once the improvements are completed.
Customers are expected to experience better signal strength, fewer dropped/blocked calls, faster data speeds, expanded coverage and better overall performance as the improvements roll out across the country. Sprint has a history of innovation, as it was the first national wireless carrier to offer 4G service with the launch of the Sprint 4G (WiMAX) network in 2008.
The launch of these 15 cities demonstrates the continued commitment by Sprint to invest in its network through Network Vision. For the most up-to-date details on Sprint’s 4G LTE portfolio and rollout, please visit www.sprint.com/4GLTE.
The Wireless Industry’s Most Customer-Friendly Data Plans
In today’s competitive wireless market, the value of unlimited has never been more apparent. Sprint’s Everything Data plan with Any Mobile, AnytimeSM includes unlimited data, texting and calling to and from any mobile phone in America while on the Sprint network, starting at just $79.99 per month for smartphones (pricing excludes taxes and surcharges).
Sprint continues the trend of delivering value to customers through its portfolio of 4G LTE-capable devices and unlimited data experience with Sprint Everything Data plans. Sprint has already launched five 4G LTE-capable devices for less than $200 – HTC EVO™ 4G LTE ($199.99); LG Viper™ 4G LTE ($99.99); Samsung Galaxy Nexus ($199.99); Samsung Galaxy S® III ($199.99 for 16GB version); and Sierra Wireless™ 4G LTE Tri-Fi Hotspot, the nation’s first to support 4G LTE, 4G WiMAX and 3G ($99.99) (all pricing excludes taxes).
During the past several years, Sprint has been working hard to deliver the best customer experience. Recently, the American Customer Satisfaction Index ranked Sprint No. 1 among all national carriers and most improved in customer satisfaction, across all 47 industries, during the last four years.
About Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served more than 56 million customers at the end of the first quarter of 2012 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. The American Customer Satisfaction Index rated Sprint No. 1 among all national carriers and most improved in customer satisfaction across all industries during the last four years. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 3 in its 2011 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation’s greenest companies, the highest of any telecommunications company. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.
*Sprint is the only national carrier with no throttling, metering or overages, all while on the Sprint network. Sprint customers can enjoy an unlimited data experience with Sprint Everything Data plans. See sprint.com/unlimited for details.