Sprint to announce 4G plans this fall
updated 11:20 pm EDT, Tue July 19, 2011
CEO gives opinions on tiered data pricing
Sprint CEO Dan Hesse suggests the carrier later in the fall will be ready to announce significant plans surrounding its 4G deployments, though the executive has yet to confirm rumors pointing to a LightSquared deal for an LTE network. Speaking to visitors at Sprint's headquarters in Kansas, Hesse also added to his commentary on the AT&T/T-Mobile merger, claiming that he feels a personal obligation to oppose the deal and push for competition in the marketplace.
“I hope you like 4G,” Hesse said, referring to the merger, as quoted by BGR. "Because it could be the last generation of wireless network in the US."
The executive also admitted that Sprint's WiMAX expansion, which relies on Clearwire, has shown a slower pace amid rapid LTE deployment from Verizon. It is unclear if the fall plans will include the rumored LightSquared partnership, or if the company will continue to rely on Clearwire's growing WiMAX coverage.
Regarding the possibility of a transition to tiered data pricing, Hesse suggests bandwidth considerations eventually "could be an issue," according to quotes posted by Engadget. The executive stressed, however, that Virgin Mobile's switch to tiered data should not be taken as a sign that Sprint is ready to follow the same path.
