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In September of 2008, Sprint was the first of the US cell phone carriers to offer 4G service in Baltimore. Currently, Sprint’s 4G service is available in 71 markets in the US. Additionally, if you have a Sprint 4G phone and are traveling in Jamaica or Taiwan you’ll be able to roam onto an available 4G network in those countries. Click this link to find out if 4G service is available near you.

The company uses WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) technology, a network that is built from the ground up, to deliver 4G service. Simply put, WiMAX is similar to WiFi in the sense that it can deliver similar speeds, but with less interference. The network is fast – approximately 10 times faster than 3G service. For example, sending a short video taken with your smartphone could take several minutes to send to another phone or e-mail address over a 3G network, but it takes just seconds using a 4G data connection. The difference between 3G and 4G is typically most visible when watching web-based videos on a 4G device (smartphone, notebook, tablet, etc). Watching via a 4G data connection can remove the choppiness and buffering issues typically encountered when watching the same video over a 3G data connection.

Here are a few more things you might want to know about Sprint’s 4G Service. If you have more questions, leave a comment and we'll do our best to answer them.

Can I use any 4G product with the service? 

You need a Sprint 4G capable product and have access to the company’s 4G network. Since the launch of the service in 2008, Sprint has announced 18 4G products and 12 are currently available. Here are a few of the most popular products: 

• HTC EVO 4G 
• HTC EVO Shift 
• Samsung Epic 4G 
• Overdrive 3G/4G Mobile HotSpot 
• Novatel 3G/4G MiFi Mobile Hotspot

One of the main features of the 4G products listed above is that they can be used as Mobile HotSpots, which means you can share the 4G connection with anywhere between five to eight (depending on the model) other WiFi-enabled devices. 

What if I have a 4G product and I’m not in a 4G market? 

You will still be able to use your product since all of Sprint’s 4G products also work with the company’s 3G network. In fact, if you are in a 4G market you’ll want to manually turn and off 4G service. As is the case with many extra features running on cell phones it can have an adverse effect on battery life.

Speaking of features, we should mention that if you’re using a Sprint 4G cell phone you can use it to make calls and surf the web simultaneously either using a WiFi or 4G connection. 

Does 4G service cost extra?

When Sprint first launched its 4G service there was an additional $10 monthly fee for 4G cell phones regardless if you were using the phone in a 4G area. Since then, things have changed slightly. If you have a Sprint smartphone you will have to pay an additional $10 premium data fee. Yes, that’s for a 3G or 4G Sprint smartphone.

Topics: Observed Sprint Cell phone plans Smart phones International WiFi HTC Android Google 4G Carriers