Sprint Testing LTE, But Still Committed to WiMAX. For How Long?

Today seems to be the day when a lot of strange things happen. After Microsoft’s Notebook Cooling Case, now it seems like Sprint is testing LTE equipment. Why is this bizarre? Well, because Sprint is the last who supports Clearwire’s WiMAX equipment which is now deploying a US-wide WiMAX network. Here are John Polivka’s words in a conversation with our fellows from GigaOM:

“You know of our commitment to WiMAX as our 4G play, the only next gen technology commercially offered. … As a prudent Technology Development organization we are always collecting competitive information about various technologies/equipment to monitor and assess the competitive landscape and any potential impacts to Sprint’s plans.”

So, what Mr. Polivka is saying is that they love and that they are fully committed to WiMAX, but this doesn’t mean they cannot test other technologies. Coincidence or not, there is 4G equipment and that is LTE. Also remember the fact that Sprint and Clearwire signed a $3.2 billion deal which involves the use of LTE-compatible equipment for the Clear WiMAX network, and this means that if Sprint decides to go for LTE then they won’t have to make such a big change.

via GigaOM