Sprint Launches Super-Fast 4G LTE Network in Select Cities

Sprint launched its 4G LTE network today, with 15 cites surrounding the Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City and San Antonio markets set to receive the high-speed coverage.

Some might be confused, as this carrier has had a 4G network for years now. However, that one uses WiMAX, a standard that has proved to be unpopular. The new one uses LTE, which is being adopted by all the major phone operators, at least partially because it's faster.

The company began the process of switching to LTE last year and announced in June that it will begin offering this 4G service in those select areas July 15. However, the carrier also launched a 4G LTE network for residents in and around Waco, Texas, thanks to an accelerated build schedule.

Tests of the new network performed by Brighthand in the Atlanta area with an HTC Evo 4G LTE area resulted in download speeds around 24Mbps downloads and 12Mbps uplaods -- much faster than WiMAX.

Here and There

The high-speed network rollout, known as Network Vision, spreads to cities such as Athens, Georgia; Calhoun, Georgia; Carrollton, Georgia; Newman, Georgia; Rome, Georgia; Fort Worth, Texas; Granbury-Hood County, Texas; Huntsville, Texas; and St. Joseph, Missouri. The network will continue to expand in the coming months, according to Sprint, which plans to launch additional 4G LTE markets in the second half of 2012.

Sprint expects to have largely completed the expansion by the end of 2013, hoping to cover 250 million people nationwide. As the first carrier in the United States to have a 4G network, Sprint chose WiMAX for its service, while its rivals all picked LTE, with the latter being faster.

The company began offering LTE-enabled devices earlier this year, with smartphones such as the HTC Evo 4G LTE, LG Viper 4G LTE and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, all supporting the high-speed network. With the recent launch of the Samsung Galaxy S III, Sprint has added another LTE capable device to its mix.

Additionally, the carrier is also improving its 3G CDMA network, promising to offer better signal strength, fewer dropped/blocked calls and better overall performance.

For specific information on the 4G LTE-equipped cities and maps of the network, visit Sprint's website.