Why Is Sprint Going With LTE Over WiMax?

[the2ndflood]

Why is Sprint replacing their WiMax network with LTE? Is Sprint going to stop supporting WiMax? Is LTE the future of 4G for Sprint?



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[chubb]

LTE is the future. And wimax support stops in 2014 or 2015, not sure of exact date but its coming.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[jonathanm1978]

And because of the spectrum, plus if you do a google of the clearwire issues (clearwire was the company that was bought by Sprint, and they were SUPPOSED to do the build-out of Sprint's WiMax network for them, but squandered money and had too much debt) you'll see that WiMax was dead before it got started.

 

[Jerry Hildenbrand]

Because Sprint (and all carriers) have more control over LTE. WiMax policy is dictated by the IEEE, where LTE's is dictated by a board consisting of suits from major world cellular carriers.

"Closed" standards offer a quicker return on investment. The IEEE would make decisions that were best for the technology, while carriers will make decisions that are best for the carriers.

 

[jopocop]

Going back a few years ago, WiMax was thought a possible technology that America and the world would adopt for 4G telecom networking. LTE was being developed, and eventually was supported by many key telecom carreirs and the manufactureres for such LTE equipment/software, as well as the device makers. So, over time, WiMax lost the support and the device makers were not interested in developing all of the devices for what was turning out to be a limited technology. The device makers saw greater sales with 4G LTE. The networking companies wanted LTE too.
Sprint lost valuable time and capital in this process, so that they announced formally going with 4G LTE last fall and starting some activations in America in July. By the end of next June, they will have a large coverage activated in America and by the end of Dec 2013, the build out should be complete with most of the USA covered by 4G LTE to replace current 3G locations.

 

[Mikey47]

WiMax was the biggest boondoggle that sprint has undertaken. If not for it their LTE deployment would be on par with VZW's.

 

[ScandaLeX]

It reminds me of the battle between VCR vs DVD. One of them had to win. I think Sprint thought WiMax would be the wave of the future. And I still feel they should've bailed on it long before they actually did.

Tap'n from my White SGT2 7.0 SE

 

[Mikey47]

It reminds me of the battle between VCR vs DVD.

I think you mean BetaMax vs VHS. But yes, that is similar.

 

[ScandaLeX]

I think you mean BetaMax vs VHS. But yes, that is similar.

LOL.....That's what I meant.

 

[Paul627g]

Another example would be HD DVD vs BLU RAY

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[the2ndflood]

Well the WiMax being phased out doesn't really hurt me, because I barely have any WiMax in my area, but I don't want to have to buy a new phone for LTE. I just really thought Sprint would remain different and go with a different technology, but I guess by them upgrading to LTE, that, that would open up roaming possibilities.

Thanks for everyones comments! You explained this issue well.



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[anon(94115)]

Pretty sure it is 2015 that sprint totally abandons wimax

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[ScandaLeX]

Another example would be HD DVD vs BLU RAY

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Android Central Forums

Exactly!! Something about the word blu ray had me convinced it'd come out on to which is why I never bought any HD DVDs.

Well the WiMax being phased out doesn't really hurt me, because I barely have any WiMax in my area, but I don't want to have to buy a new phone for LTE. I just really thought Sprint would remain different and go with a different technology, but I guess by them upgrading to LTE, that, that would open up roaming possibilities.

Thanks for everyones comments! You explained this issue well.



Sent From My Sprint HTC EVO3D Using Tapatalk ---

That's just it. Sprint did do different. They choose WiMax while everyone else choose LTE. The problem with remaining is no one else will want to financially support the dying standard.

Makes me wonder if we would have had LTE phones from Sprint sooner if they had gotten behind the platform from the start.

 

[TraderGary]

The problem was that Sprint was "first" to market with 4G and chose WiMax. When the others followed they all chose LTE.

That left WiMax alone to wither and die.

HTC EVO 4G LTE

 

[ScandaLeX]

The problem was that Sprint was "first" to market with 4G and chose WiMax. When the others followed they all chose LTE.

That left WiMax alone to wither and die.

HTC EVO 4G LTE

Thanks Tracker. Makes me wonder though if Sprint had choose LTE first would the rest of them have chosen WiMax? I think to much.....

 

[Paul627g]

No WiMAX was doomed from the start.. First of all the frequency it runs on its horrible for in building coverage and distances.. I know this first hand, I can stand outside a local store with solid 3/4 bar 4g (Wimax) walk 15-20 feet inside the building and my signal bars drop to 1 normally..

This is just one example of many reasons behind WiMax being doomed from the start.

 

[mcolesjr]

Here in Reston VA, I used to get 4-5 Mb down speeds in my building. My cubicle moved to other side of the floor, no 4G WiMax....barely 3G signal. If I walk outside, 5-8 Mb down with 4G WiMax.

If you're in a good area, WiMax is pretty good. But the range is so short.

My 2cents

 

[djw39]

No WiMAX was doomed from the start.. First of all the frequency it runs on its horrible for in building coverage and distances.. I know this first hand, I can stand outside a local store with solid 3/4 bar 4g (Wimax) walk 15-20 feet inside the building and my signal bars drop to 1 normally..

This is just one example of many reasons behind WiMax being doomed from the start.

If Sprint had put Wimax on their own towers at PCS freqs the way they are now doing with LTE, service and coverage would have been fine. But the bigger problem is explaining to Apple, HTC, Moto etc. why they should make a separate phone with Wimax that only works on Sprint. It is not cost effective for anybody to have that situation.

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[n0ve]

Simple... Wimax is like bluetooth, and constantly scanning, to connect vs lte as a data signal frequency + higher capabilities + roaming

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[EndlessDissent]

Simple... Wimax is like bluetooth, and constantly scanning, to connect vs lte as a data signal frequency + higher capabilities + roaming

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Holy thread bump...

1. Scanning frequency is independent of the technology used. You could set an LTE phone to scan just as often as a Wimax phone. And battery life would suck just as badly.

2. Signal frequency is independent of the technology used. This was said before, but Sprint could have deployed Wimax on their normal 1900MHz frequency (if not for Clearwire), and it would have performed just fine. Clearwire just has their spectrum at too high of a frequency, so there's little to no coverage area.

3. Wimax is just as capable (of whatever, I guess; "capabilities" is kind of vague) as LTE. In fact, as an open standard, it has more potential for its capabilities than LTE. As was said before in the thread, carriers prefer LTE because they have full control and don't have to cooperate with IEEE. It has nothing to do with "capabilities".

4. Not sure what you mean by "roaming". Neither Sprint nor any other carrier could roam on Wimax because Sprint was the only one using it. However, no one can roam on LTE either, because all the carriers are using different frequencies for their LTE deployments. So, "roaming" is a wash.

Basically, LTE wasn't chosen over Wimax because of technical superiority. It was chosen because of corporate politics.