Sprint Nextel already looking to 4G

Silicon.com reports that at the Yankee Group Research's Wireless Leadership Summit, Sprint (S) was talking up 4G and "emphasised that 4G is on its way and will have an enormous impact on Sprint Nextel's business model."

According to the article, Sprint's 3G EV-DO network is just the beginning. "The company is also planning to use its large holding in the 2.5GHz frequency band to provide new 4G wireless services. Sprint Nextel is still testing several technologies but a front-runner in the race is WiMax, which supports peak data download speeds of about 20Mbps, with average user data rates between 1Mbps and 4Mbps. Additional spectrum and the development of new 4G technologies will become important as carriers add more bandwidth-intensive applications such as mobile TV."

Linda Barrabee at Yankee Group said, "Voice will continue to be a killer application for the mobile operators for a long time. So they need to be careful about what they put on that network."

She added, "When you have spectrum assets in your back pocket, that's a differentiator that gives a carrier options, especially when it comes to mobile TV. But what is also needed is a business model that allows them to leverage those assets to deliver commercial services."