So what was all this hub-bub about concerning Sprint's Strategy Update? And how will this affect current and future HTC EVO owners?
Well, the press event/conference call happened at 9:30 ET this morning, and here are some key points that are most likely of interest to readers of G&E:
- Sprint has improved customer satisfaction more than any other wireless carrier over the past three years.
- Sprint is the only wireless carrier that improved postpaid churn every year since 2006, and according to the Reputation Institute, Sprint's reputation has improved more than any other company in the world.
- 3G network performance, including capacity, building penetration, and data speeds will also be improved as Sprint continues to roll out CDMA over 800Mhz, in addition to 1900. According to Sprint, customers will see a "viral type of improvement" in 3G coverage.
- The rollout of 4G LTE will be more aggressive than previously thought; a 3-5 year plan is now closer to a 2-3 year plan.
- Sprint expects to have LTE radios in every single one of its 3G sites by the end of 2013. In other words, Sprint's 4G footprint will be identical to its 3G footprint, and this will allow for Sprint to focus on other improvements, include HD voice service.
- Sprint will begin selling 4G LTE devices, including phones, tablets, and data cards, beginning in mid-2012. (Can anyone say 4G LTE EVO?)
- Sprint is still committed to WiMAX and WiMAX-capable devices (such as the EVO 4G, EVO 3D, and EVO View). Additionally, WiMAX-compatible devices will continue to be sold through 2012. However, dual WiMAX/LTE phones are not on the roadmap.
- The existing WiMAX network will be maintained indefinitely. However, no mention was made of any WiMAX expansion, and it seems that the focus going forward will be almost exclusively on LTE.
You can check out the link below (thanks, biker1) for a detailed minute-by-minute recap of the Strategy Update, including photos of slides. Various Sprint execs, including Dan Hesse, did go into a bit more detail on the iPhone and the expected impact it will have on sales, churn, and network performance. They also discussed the eventual shut down of the old Nextel iDEN network, as well as their financial situation and debt obligations. In addition, Sprint's network partners (Samsung, Ericsson, and Alcatel-Lucent) talked about the role they will play in Network Vision.
There was no mention of EVDO Rev B, although Sprint does seem hopeful that customers will notice a marked improvement in 3G performance by the time this is all said and done. And I am also happy to see Sprint taking the initiative to build and maintain their own 4G network, which will ultimately allow them to deploy it faster and give them more control over it.
Yes, it does suck for current EVO users that WiMAX expansion is most likely a thing of the past. However, the EVO 3D is all set to take advantage of 3G improvements, and most of us will probably be ready to upgrade by the time Sprint's new LTE network is a bit more mature and expansive. In other words, I'm going to try not to be too disappointed about WiMAX.
So what do you think? Does this update from Sprint make you happy and excited to be a Sprint customer? Are you more disappointed about a lack of WiMAX expansion, or more excited about the possibility of a 4G LTE EVO that will eventually be able to access 4G across Sprint's entire footprint? Now's the time to sound off in the comments!
[Boy Genius Report]
