Sprint announced on Wednesday that it expects to activate its upcoming 4G LTE network in Baltimore and in Kansas City. The carrier has already said that it will flip the switch on its first 4G LTE networks in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio by mid-2012. The carrier’s first LTE devices will include Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus, the LG Viper 4G LTE and the Sierra Wireless Tri-Network mobile hotspot. Sprint said it also expects to improve the 3G coverage in each of the aforementioned markets. Sprint’s CEO Dan Hesse also said Wednesday that 86% of the phones his company sold during the fourth quarter were smartphones and that 66% of Sprint’s subscriber base now use smartphones, and the carrier’s 4G LTE network will certainly benefit any smartphone user that may be looking for faster download and upload data speeds. Sprint’s full press release follows after the break.

Baltimore and Kansas City Sprint Customers to Benefit from 4G LTE and 3G Enhancements in 2012

Sprint’s CEO Dan Hesse said in a note to employees Friday that Sprint will merge the marketing and sales teams of its enterprise and consumer businesses into one body. Hesse said the carrier is restructuring in an effort to better streamline its operations, Reuters reported on Friday. As a result, Sprint is also removing four executives from their roles with the firm. “As the wireless market has evolved, the lines between consumers and businesses have blurred,” Hesse said, according to a note to employees obtained by Reuters. “We believe that we no longer need to support two separate business units, and that it is more logical now to evolve to unified marketing and sales organizations. Because of the enormous investments we’re making this year in Network Vision and in the iPhone, we need to consistently be looking for ways to be more efficient.” Sprint’s chief marketing officer Bill Malloy will run the merged marketing and sales unit. Sprint has decided to remove the president of its consumer services group, Bob Johnson, the president of its integrated solutions group, Danny Bowman, the senior vice president of its corporate development and spectrum, Chris Rogers, and the senior vice president of consumer marketing, John Carney.

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Almost every one of Sprint’s recent commercials takes aim at other carriers’ data caps and throttling, while the Now Network promotes “truly unlimited” data. However, on Wednesday reports began to circulate that Sprint throttles the top 1% of unlimited data users. Sprint responded to these claims and assured customers that it is indeed the only carrier with truly unlimited smartphone data. “Sprint does not throttle any postpaid phone data users for on-network or off-network usage,” a Sprint representative posted on the company’s website. “Sprint is the only national carrier offering smartphone users truly unlimited data with no throttling, metering or overages while on the Sprint network.” The company clarified that it has various “terms and conditions which prohibit certain types of data use that may impair other customers’ usage or harm or interfere with the network.” Sprint claims CEO Dan Hesse was referring to the company’s right to terminate the service of users who violate these terms when he said “for those that want to abuse it, we can knock them off.”

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Sprint, a carrier that often touts itself as the only carrier with “truly unlimited” data plans, actually throttles its heaviest data users. Speaking at an investor conference on Thursday, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse admitted that Sprint imposes limits the top 1% of data hogs. “For those that want to abuse it, we can knock them off,” Hesse said. The executive explained that Sprint needs to throttle — or slow down the data speeds — of its heaviest users in order to make room for the growing number of smartphone users on its 3G and 4G WiMAX networks. Earlier on Thursday Sprint detailed its first 4G LTE markets, which will roll out in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio during the first half of this year.

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Sprint on Thursday announced the first markets that will be upgraded with 4G LTE service this year. The company’s LTE network will launch in the first half of this year in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, CEO Dan Hesse revealed during a talk at the Citigroup Entertainment, Media and Telecommunications Conference. Hesse also said that Sprint would be upgrading its 3G coverage in those markets at the same time. Sprint was the first carrier in the United States to deploy a 4G network, but it opted to use WiMAX technology rather than LTE. In the fall of 2011, however, Sprint announced that the company would convert to a single-network architecture, moving away from CDMA and WiMAX as it rolls out its LTE network. Rather than abandoning the company’s old technology, Sprint inked a deal with Clearwire to continue supporting WiMAX through 2015. Sprint’s full press release follows below.

Sprint Announces First Major Markets to Receive 4G LTE in 2012

Customers in Dallas, Atlanta, Houston and San Antonio are expected to enjoy ultra-fast service and an improved 3G wireless experience before middle of year

SAN FRANCISCO (BUSINESS WIRE), January 05, 2012 – Sprint (NYSE: S) CEO Dan Hesse announced today at the annual Citigroup Entertainment, Media and Telecommunications Conference that customers in Dallas, Atlanta, Houston and San Antonio are expected to be among the first to benefit from 4G LTE and improved 3G coverage in the first half of 2012.

The launch of these metropolitan areas marks the next step in the company’s overall network strategy, also known as Network Vision. Sprint customers can expect to enjoy ultra-fast data speeds, improved 3G voice and data quality, and stronger in-building signal penetration providing a more reliable wireless experience. Whether a Sprint customer is on a smartphone streaming video, browsing the Web with a mobile hotspot, or making a voice call to someone across the country, everyone¹ in the upgraded areas is expected to benefit from the advanced 3G/4G LTE network.

“Within the first half of 2012, Sprint customers should experience first-hand the wide-reaching improvements we have made in terms of boosting voice and data quality,” said Bob Azzi, senior vice president – Network, Sprint. “With advanced smartphones and sophisticated wireless modems, our customers are using more and more mobile data, and one of our top priorities is to provide the best technology possible to improve our customers’ experience.”

Sprint’s Network Vision platform involves the deployment of multimode base stations across many of Sprint’s cell sites throughout the country. As base stations are deployed, customers will notice immediate improvements in voice quality, signal density and data speeds. The first completed deployment of a multimode base station was in Branchburg, N.J., in December 2011. As additional areas receive 3G enhancements and 4G LTE service, announcements will be made.

Another component of Sprint’s network strategy has been the deployment of Sprint^® Direct Connect^® on the CDMA network. Sprint’s legacy in push-to-talk leadership continues with new CDMA devices that launched in September, 2011. More CDMA push-to-talk devices will be announced in the coming months.

Sprint has been an innovator with 4G since first launching the technology in 2008. Sprint has launched more than 25 4G-enabled smartphones, USB connection cards, notebook/netbook products, mobile hotspots and routers. Sprint offers a proven, reliable 4G experience for millions of customers compared to other national wireless carriers. Additionally, Sprint is a leader in value, with Sprint Everything plans with Any Mobile, Anytime^SM, including unlimited data, texting and calling to and from any mobile phone in America while on the Sprint network. With Sprint’s unlimited data plans, customers don’t have to worry about throttling or data overage charges on their monthly bill as they might with tiered data plans from other carriers.

Sprint CEO Dan Hesse has been an outspoken opponent of AT&T’s proposed $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile USA since it was announced earlier this year. Hesse has repeatedly warned that such a merger would “stifle innovation” and put “too much power would be in the hands of two,” and it is understandable that the CEO of the nation’s No. 3 wireless carrier would take such a stance. The Sprint chief may have given the world a bit more insight into his motives on Wednesday, however, when he made some interesting comments at an investor conference. Read on for more.

“I don’t believe that what the DOJ said in any way, not even a little bit, should be viewed as we want to keep four,” Hesse told investors.”My view is [the Justice Department] would look at other consolidation very differently.” The CEO continued, suggesting that a “very strong argument” could be made that antitrust regulators would approve a hypothetical Sprint/T-Mobile merger.

Rumors of a potential marriage between Sprint and T-Mobile made the rounds several months ago, but they were obviously squashed when AT&T announced its plans for an acquisition. While Sprint and T-Mobile use different technologies for their cellular networks, Sprint’s “Network Vision” efforts allow the carrier to easily make use of multiple network technologies including WiMAX, LTE and even T-Mobile’s HSPA. BGR took an in-depth look at Sprint’s Network Vision gear this past summer.

Hesse made it clear that he was speaking hypothetically on Wednesday, however it was also quite clear that the executive has given the matter much thought. A merger of Sprint and T-Mobile would create a true competitor to Verizon Wireless and AT&T according to Hesse. If Sprint, the Justice Department and other opponents end up successfully blocking the proposed AT&T deal, don’t be surprised if Hesse is caught flying out to Bellevue for some closed-door meetings shortly thereafter.

House Judiciary Committee chairman Lamar Smith wrote a letter to FCC chairman Julius Genachowski and Eric Holder, the Attorney General of the United States, on Tuesday expressing his support of AT&T’s planned $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile. Smith said he believes the FCC and the Department of Justice have only heard “one side of the story” from members of congress who provided “limited information” during recent briefings. Smith also said that his committee has “heard evidence” that the merger will:

Substantially improve the quality of the capacity of its broadband network thereby creating jobs an spurring innovation; use existing spectrum more efficiently to overcome the current spectrum shortage; expand its LTE mobile broadband Internet service to 97% of America including much of rural America; and provide better service to its customers thereby giving its competitors an incentive to improve their service.

Smith said any evidence from the congressional hearings that omits the aforementioned points “paints an incomplete picture.” Sprint has been one of the most vocal opponents of the merger and has said that, in contrast to creating jobs and innovation, the acquisition will “stifle” innovation in the U.S. Wireless market. Read on for more.

AT&T said Microsoft, Facebook, 76 Democratic members of congress, 72 mayors, 6 governors and “unions representing 20 million members,” are in support of the merger. However, Senator Herb Kohl, chairman of the the Senate antitrust committee has called on federal regulators to block it. In addition, Senator Al Franken said the acquisition will “affect consumer prices, customer service, innovation, competition in handsets and the quality and quantity of network coverage.”

BGR is at Sprint’s corporate headquarters in Overland Park, Kansas this week for a few days of meetings, tours of the massive Sprint campus and, of course, delicious barbecue. Expect plenty of coverage to come, but among the first stops this afternoon was a great little Q&A session with Sprint CEO Dan Hesse. Sprint’s chief executive had plenty to say about the AT&T/T-Mobile merger as he always does, though he was very candid with us today in admitting that his mission is both personal and professional. Hesse has a long history in the wireless industry as well all know, and he sees this merger as potentially putting an end to the wireless landscape as we know it in the U.S. “I hope you like 4G,” Hesse said, “because it could be the last generation of wireless network in the U.S.” Hesse feels like he has some level of personal duty to ensure that competition and innovation are maintained in the U.S. market, and while Sprint does have contingency plans in place, he is doing everything in his power to ensure that the FCC makes “the right decision.” Hesse also fielded several questions concerning Clearwire’s — and in turn, Sprint’s — stalled 4G WiMAX rollout in the face of Verizon’s aggressive LTE rollout and T-Mobile’s aggressive HSPA+ 42 upgrades. Hesse acknowledged that things have slowed lately, but he confirmed that Sprint has big plans moving forward that will be revealed this fall. In short, Sprint is most certainly not standing still. Of course no comment was made regarding the rumored LightSquared deal that could bring 4G LTE to Sprint subscribers in the near future.

Sprint’s CEO Dan Hesse has been a staunch opponent to AT&T’s planned $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile. He has already proclaimed that the merger would “stifle innovation” in the U.S. wireless market, and now he’s stepping up his game. “Clearly, purely, we want to win and block the merger,” Hesse told Bloomberg in a recent interview. Reportedly, the CEO is working with 18 state regulators to stop the deal, and has even been speaking to CEOs of large U.S. tech firms to get others to speak out against the acquisition. Hesse says he wants the best for the entire industry, not just for Sprint. “The industry just won’t be as innovative and as dynamic as it has been,” he said. “It’ll gum up the works when everything has to go through these two big tollbooths, one that’s called AT&T and one that’s called Verizon.” AT&T’s CEO, Randall Stephenson, has argued the opposite. Stephenson says the merger will improve reliability on his network and will result in net job growth. Despite AT&T’s backing from major industry players such as Facebook, Microsoft, and Qualcomm, Hesse isn’t giving up. “An underdog is not thinking about the point spread; they’re thinking about winning the game,” Hesse said. “We can win this.”

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Are you an AT&T or T-Mobile small business customer? Sprint wants your business, and it’s offering some pretty compelling discounts to woo you. A leaked internal document says “Come on over to Sprint and see how we can be a great partner,” and it offers AT&T and T-Mobile enterprise customers a 12% discount, 2 handset offers, and $175 CL port-in credit. It’s not as nasty as the carrier’s earlier smear campaign, which asked “Do you have the feeling the AT&T/T-Mobile love connection won’t end with a ‘Happily Ever After?’,” and offered to pay the $175 early-termination fee, but it certainly shows the carrier’s anxiety about the AT&T/T-Mobile acquisition. Sprint has expressed deep concerns about the merger and its CEO, Dan Hesse, said that it will “stifle innovation” in the U.S. wireless market if approved. Sprint’s new deal reportedly runs through July 23rd. Read on for the full image.

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On Friday, AT&T announced that it has officially filed a public statement with the Federal Communications Commission in support of its planned $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom. AT&T argues five main pillars in its statement:

• The transaction will generate jobs and economic growth.
• The transaction will preserve and promote competition and innovation.
• The wireless market will remain vibrantly competitive.
• The network capacity of the combined company will far exceed the sum generated by its pre-merger parts.
• Numerous competitors will have ample spectrum to maintain the vibrantly competitive U.S. wireless market.

In a clear response to claims from Sprint’s CEO Dan Hesse that the acquisition would “stifle innovation,” AT&T also argued “nothing about the combination of AT&T and T-Mobile USA could possibly keep Sprint or any other provider from acting on the same incentives it has today to keep innovating in this unusually dynamic ecosystem.” Hit the jump for AT&T’s full release.

AT&T Files Public Statement with FCC Supporting T-Mobile Acquisition

Dallas, Texas, June 10, 2011

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) today filed with the Federal Communications Commission its statement supporting its proposed acquisition of T-Mobile USA and responding to critics. The filing demonstrates the overarching imperative that drives this transaction:  giving AT&T and T-Mobile USA customers the network capacity they need to enjoy the full promise of the mobile broadband revolution. With the scale, spectrum and other resources generated by this transaction, the combined company will deploy Long Term Evolution – the premier next-generation wireless broadband technology – to more than 97 percent of the U.S. population. The synergies of this transaction will create immense new capacity that will provide enormous benefits to consumers.  That new capacity will provide a more robust platform for the next generation of bandwidth-intensive mobile applications while improving consumers’ overall service quality through faster data speeds and fewer dropped and blocked calls.  In the process it will create jobs and investment, help bridge the digital divide, and help achieve the Administration’s rural broadband objectives, all without the expenditure of government funds.

For these reasons, the transaction has unparalleled support from across the political and commercial landscape. This significant support includes the governors of 17 states; labor unions representing 20 million workers; minority and disability rights advocates; rural and environmental groups; venture capitalists; and a broad swath of the high-tech community’s apps developers, device manufacturers, and equipment vendors. Companies such as Avaya, Brocade, Facebook, Microsoft, Oracle, Qualcomm, RIM, Yahoo! and many others, support this merger because the widely available LTE platform it makes possible will help fuel the entrepreneurship, innovation and investment that is critical to U.S. leadership in high-tech industries. In addition, they recognize that the transaction will use spectrum more efficiently, improve service quality, and deploy an expanded LTE network, all of which will in turn drive a virtuous cycle of technology deployment, job creation, and economic growth.

Commenting on the contents of the filing, Wayne Watts, AT&T Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel, said: “This merger is about adding capacity and improving existing voice and data services while simultaneously enhancing the capabilities of the combined companies to roll out next generation wireless broadband services to 97% of Americans.  Ultimately, the capacity and efficiency gains this merger will create are a public interest benefit, and will create the ability to provide enhanced services at lower cost. These benefits underscore why this transaction should be promptly approved. Our opponents aren’t really concerned about competition or prices. The posturing of rivals such as Sprint is about one thing: their desire to compete against a capacity-constrained AT&T and a T-Mobile USA that has no clear path to LTE.”

Highlights of the filing concerning the merger’s benefits include:

The transaction will generate jobs and economic growth

As a result of the merger, AT&T will make an additional investment of more than $8 billion to expand LTE deployment and to integrate the AT&T and T-Mobile USA networks.  That investment will directly produce work within the combined company and externally for engineers, equipment manufacturers, construction firms, and a host of others. Expanding the advanced LTE platform to an additional 55 million more people will also have job-creating ripple effects throughout the economy, particularly in rural areas. As Lawrence Summers, then head of the President’s National Economic Council, concluded, “[e]ach dollar invested in wireless deployment is estimated to result in as much as $7 to $10 higher GDP,” and, as wireless investment grows, “the benefits for job creation and job improvement are likely to be substantial.”

The transaction will preserve and promote competition and innovation

Nothing about the combination of AT&T and T-Mobile USA could possibly keep Sprint or any other provider from acting on the same incentives it has today to keep innovating in this unusually dynamic ecosystem.  In fact, in the past couple weeks we have seen incredible support for AT&T’s merger with T-Mobile come from a large and broadly diverse number of high-tech companies that recognize the need for robust capacity to support further growth and innovation in mobile broadband.

The wireless market will remain vibrantly competitive

As anyone who watches television or reads the newspaper knows, the wireless market is one of the most competitive in the entire U.S. economy, with wireless providers aggressively marketing a vast array of products and services. This is demonstrated in the basic competitive realities in markets throughout America, including the resurgence of Sprint and the fact that roughly three-quarters of Americans have a choice of five or more facilities-based wireless providers. Furthermore, other major providers posted record gains in the first quarter of 2011 which confirms that they can fill any competitive gap T-Mobile USA might leave after this transaction is complete.

The network capacity of the combined company will far exceed the sum generated by its pre-merger parts

Over the past four years, AT&T has invested more than $75 billion to upgrade its wireline and wireless networks—more than any other public company has invested in the United States, despite opponents’ claims of underinvestment.  Contrary to opponents’ arguments, neither this massive investment, nor piecemeal technology “solutions” can solve the macro-level, system-wide constraints confronting AT&T, and they cannot, alone or together, provide the capacity relief on anything approaching the scale of this transaction, let alone in the same time period.  Benefits from T-Mobile cell sites (which are densest in urban centers), cannot be achieved by AT&T on its own, and because AT&T and T-Mobile USA have uniquely complementary networks and spectrum positions, the network capacity of the combined company will far exceed the sum generated by its pre-merger parts.

Numerous competitors will have ample spectrum to maintain the vibrantly competitive U.S. wireless market

The combined spectrum position of Sprint and Clearwire (in which Sprint currently owns a majority stake) is far stronger than AT&T’s today. Clearwire has the best spectrum position in the industry, on average, 160-megahertz of spectrum in the top markets. This is more than the combined AT&T/T-Mobile company would have if their merger is approved,^[1] and does not even include the additional spectrum Sprint holds directly.

The full publicly available filing, with certain portions containing competitively confidential information redacted, is available at http://www.mobilizeeverything.com/.

[1] Conference Call Tr., CLWR – Q1 2011 Clearwire Corp. Earnings Conference Call, Thomson StreetEvents, at  (May 4, 2011) (“Clearwire May 4, 2011 Earnings Call Tr.”); see also Fourteenth Report, 25 FCC Rcd at 11570 Chart 40.*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

The Public Utilities Commission in California will investigate AT&T’s planned acquisition of T-Mobile, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. The Golden state is one of three states that Sprint has asked to investigate the deal — the other two are West Virginia and Louisiana. “We believe a thorough investigation will reveal the negative implications for pricing, choice, and innovation critical to California’s economy,” Sprint’s public affairs manager, John Taylor, said. “Sprint is pleased that the commission will open up a proceeding to investigate the proposed takeover of T-Mobile by AT&T.” AT&T originally filed its informal notice with California’s Public Utilities Commission on May 3rd, and Sprint protested the filing on May 19th when it asked for a review of the merger. The regulators will consider three options, one of which is a choice to notify AT&T that its purchase is not “pre-approved” after the standard 30-day time period after an application is submitted. Sprint has opposed the acquisition from day one, and its CEO Dan Hesse said the deal would “stifle innovation” in the U.S. wireless market.

[Via The Wall Street Journal, AllThingsD]

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We’ve just received an invite for a joint press event being held by Sprint and Motorola Mobility on June 9th. Sprint’s CEO, Dan Hesse, will speak during the press conference, as will Motorola Mobility’s CEO Sanjay Jha. We assume we’ll hear about new product launches from the two, as the invite confirms there will be “hands-on demonstrations of Sprint and Motorola’s latest collaborations.” We’ll be reporting live from the event.

AT&T will pay T-Mobile $3 billion in cash, a $1 billion roaming agreement, and $2 billion in spectrum if the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice reject AT&T’s proposed $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile. The agreement’s 15% breakup fee would shatter global records, Reuters said, noting that the 7.7% breakup cash agreement is already high. On Wednesday, AT&T’s CEO Randall Stephenson met with the Senate Judiciary Committee to discuss the acquisition. AT&T’s CEO Randall Stephenson has argued that there’s already plenty of competition in the U.S. wireless market and that the deal will actually create jobs. Similarly, the Communications Workers of America backs the deal and believes it will be a “victory for broadband proponents. AT&T’s competition isn’t so sure. Sprint’s CEO, Dan Hesse said the deal would “stifle innovation” and the carrier believes it would create a “vertically integrated duopoly.” Verizon has kept to itself, but did note that, if confirmed, the deal could be “an excuse for the government to insert itself into the marketplace.”

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The Senate Judiciary Committee will meet on Wednesday to discuss AT&T’s proposed $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom — and AT&T’s competitors won’t be sitting quietly. According to The Wall Street Journal, Sprint’s CEO Dan Hesse, Viktor Meena of Cellular South, and Larry Cohen, president of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), will all be in attendance. Competitors are expected to grill AT&T’s Randall Stephenson on the deal that Hesse has said will “stifle innovation” and competition in the U.S. wireless market. While there are rumblings that AT&T has more money for lobbying than Sprint and other competitors, the nation’s largest wireless carrier, Verizon, will not be in attendance. “We are concerned this is an excuse for the government to insert itself into the marketplace,” Thomas Tauke, Verizon’s executive vice president of public affairs, policy, and communication, told The Wall Street Journal. Verizon’s concerned that AT&T could bow to government pressure on net neutrality regulation in an effort to get the acquisition passed. Sprint thinks the deal is bad for other reasons, and one spokesperson said the carrier will “explain [that it thinks] this takeover of T-Mobile is bad for consumers, bad for innovation and bad for the economy,” and added that Sprint sees the deal as a “job killer” that will create a “vertically integrated duopoly.” Meanwhile Stephenson has argued that the deal — over time — will actually be a “net job grower,” and that there’s already plenty of competition in the U.S. wireless market. Similarly, Cohen of the CWA, has called the deal a “victory for broadband proponents.”  Earlier this month the Department of Justice assured the public that it will perform an “in-depth” investigation of the deal.

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