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May 23, 2007

This year, Sprint reportedly plans to invest more than $7 billion to enhance its networks and upgrade to EV-DO Rev. A.

The wireless carrier also wants to develop its Wi-MAX deployment for mobile broadband coverage.

Besides upgrading its Nextel National and Sprint National networks, the operator has earmarked up to $800 million for deploying its mobile Wi-MAX technology, saying it will launch in Chicago, Baltimore and Washington, DC, by the end of 2007.

For 2008, Sprint has indicated it will expand its capital expenditure for Wi-MAX to $1.5 to $2 billion.

Using its 2.5 GHz spectrum holdings which cover about 85 percent of the households in the top one-hundred U.S. markets, Sprint says it will commercially launch the service nationwide by the end of next year.

The wireless operator has already signed on with Motorola, Nokia and Samsung as its network infrastructure partners.

For its Sprint and Nextel National networks, the operator also has indicated it will add "several thousand cell sites" to improve coverage.

By the end of this year, Sprint says it will have spent $1.4 billion over the last two years on its wireline network.

The company's Tier 1 Global IP network is a next-generation platform that enables wireline and wireless integration for both the consumer and enterprise segments.

The wireline backbone plays a role in many Sprint initiatives, including wireless traffic backhaul and its cable VoIP business.

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Source: Wireless Week