NYC, get ready for 4G. Today Sprint announced that its 4G WiMax network has arrived in all five boroughs of New York City, bringing the fastest data network to more than 8 million new customers. In addition to New York City, Sprint — in partnership with Clearwire — have blessed Hartford, New Haven, New Brunswick, Trenton, and Tampa with 4G coverage, bringing the total number of covered cities to 61.
“Sprint has provided customers with 4G service since 2008 and we’re proud to extend our leadership to six more cities today, including New York City,” says Matt Carter, president of Sprint 4G, in a statement. “Sprint is the first national wireless carrier to make 4G a reality for our customers and with the addition of these six new markets we are now in 61 cities, including Chicago, Baltimore and Houston, and are growing. By the end of the year Sprint 4G plans to light up several major new markets including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Denver, and Washington, D.C., to name a few.”
4G WiMax boasts average speeds of 3 to 6 Mbps and bursts of over 10 Mbps, which Sprint calls ten times faster than previous-gen 3G networks.
The next big question is whether or not the much-hyped Verizon iPhone will be on the carrier’s 4G network. The iPhone had a rough time with AT&T’s 3G reception in New York City for some time, and it is speculated that Apple won’t want to risk poor connectivity via 4G on the Verizon iPhone, but if the two forces joined, the next iteration of the most popular smartphone in the United States could make a huge splash.
