The Mobile Broadband Evolution and Sprint 4G Market Launches

Mobile Broadband (MBB) is one of the fastest growing product segments in the wireless industry. Mobile data is a tremendous growth opportunity for Sprint, at as much as a 27% annual growth rate, as illustrated below.

Sprint has made a series of investments to its networks and strategic rollout to take advantage of the MBB opportunities. In 2006, Sprint made the decision to rollout 4G in the next generation of network and capabilities.

Using WiMAX technology, Sprint 4G offers peak download speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G, making it possible for multiple videos to play simultaneously on a laptop. With 4G and feeds over 10 Mbps, data multi-tasking can be done like never before - view a TV show in HD, listen to a song on Pandora, and even watch CNN live, all at the same time.

The Sprint 4G market launches are scheduled to occur in a series of market roll outs. Baltimore was the first market launched in early 2009. In August 2009, Sprint 4G was rolled out to Portland, Atlanta and Las Vegas. And since then a series of other markets have been rolled out through the end of 2009, including Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, Seattle.

 

Beginning in 2010, the Sprint 4G will be rolled out to Washington DC, Houston, Boston, San Francisco, New York. Current build plan projects up to 120 million covered POPs by end of year 2010. A million POPs is just under half of Sprint's 3G network. Continued market build out provides Sprint with a very substantial head start over Sprint's competitors by 18 months to 2 years.

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With 4G expected to launch in over 80 major markets by end of 2010, there will be key Sprint products available make use of 4G and enabling easier and faster means of doing business:

• Dual mode connection cards, enabled with 3G and 4G depending on your location
• Mobile hotspots and routers that moves with you
• Embedded laptops and tri-mode handsets

Here is a snapshot of Sprint’s product portfolio and road map:

 

Reviewing first products that have already launched, there the dual mode data card and personal hotspot devices; they allow users to have Wi-Fi for up to five users, and share that capacity with any Wi-Fi enabled devices that are in the area. In addition there’s the mobile broadband router which is more of a small business type of application that would allow you to share capacity with up to 32 users.

There’s also access replacement opportunities. Single-mode fixed modem is a home modem, or small business modem replacement and access replacement type of product. In 2010 and beyond there will be single-mode and dual-mode services and embedded laptops. Still to come are tri-mode devices, and machine to machine (M2M) embedded solutions. Because of the open standards and the openness of the technology, and the low cost chip sets, we believe the embedded opportunities are tremendous.

Sprint 4G is positioned for mobile broadband leadership:

• Sprint 4G is FAST Providing Superior Service vs. Competitors
• 3 – 5 x faster than competitive 3G services
• Sprint is Ready NOW
• First to market with a 12-24 month head-start with 4G
• Clear Spectrum advantage to maintain speed/capacity lead
• Robust 3G/4G Product Portfolio Enabling New Opportunities
• Ecosystem and Resources Committed to 4G to Drive Success