Sprint Nextel calls future '4G' expansion to N.Y., L.A. and S.F.

UPDATED: Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) said it plans to launch its WiMAX-based “4G” service in New York City on Nov. 1, followed by the launch of service in Los Angeles on Dec. 1 and in San Francisco by the end of the year.
The planned launches will help push the carrier’s reach to more than 55 markets, excluding any additional markets the carrier launched in between those major markets.
Sprint Nextel relies on Clearwire Corp.’s (CLWR) WiMAX deployment for its service offering, which Clearwire has said it plans to expand to 120 million potential customers covered by the end of the year.
Clearwire followed up the Sprint Nextel in announcing that it will also launch its Clear-branded service in the New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco markets on the same time table.Clearwire also added that its partner Time Warner Cable would offer its own branded service in New York on Nov. 1, while Comcast Corp. would offer its Xfinity Internet 2go service in San Francisco later this year.
There has been some tension between the Sprint Nextel and Clearwire in recent months over the manner in which Clearwire continues to put its efforts behind the branded offering. Sprint Nextel’s management has expressed its desire for Clearwire to focus its efforts on building out its network, while Clearwire has noted that a vast majority of its revenues still derive from its branded service.
Verizon Wireless recently announced that it planned to unveil its LTE-powered next-generation network in 38 markets by the end of the year, including New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles.