Sprint has spoken up about its future network plans and this includes migrating iDEN customers to CDMA, improving in-building coverage and maybe deploying Long-Term Evolution 4G networks.
In an interview with Fierce Wireless, Sprint senior VP Bob Azzi said it will aim to replace some of its equipments with equipment that is more powerful and efficient. In particular, it will go from 66,000 base stations to 46,000.
Azzi said the new radios Sprint plans to deploy as part of the project will provide higher power outputs and will be more efficient in the reverse link and the forward link, which he said will help erase some of the difference in in-building penetration between Sprint’s 800 MHz spectrum (where it operates its iDEN network) and its 1900 MHz spectrum.
The Sprint iDEN network is still used by many businesses for its reliability and push-to-talk capabilities and it also powers devices like the Boost Mobile i1. This is really, really slow for data-intensive processes though and the company wants to migrate those users to its CDMA network.
The PTT feature is much-needed by many professions, so look for Sprint to work with Qualcomm to deliver a solution that will work over CDMA networks. Any transition, Azzi made clear, will take years to complete – so don’t expect iDEN to shut down any time soon.
Azzi was as non-committal as you can get regarding the company’s 4G network, which is currently powered by Clearwire’s WiMax.
“We know the technology changes,” Azzi told Fierce. “And this network architecture gives the flexibility to adapt and change as we need to, as the marketplace and our strategic choices dictate.”
More efficient technologies are always a good thing and Sprint moving away from iDEN could also be a step in the right direction. The company should have never purchased Nextel anyways, as iDEN integration has just been a nightmare.
[Via Fierce Wireless