Sprint revealed that that company has completed agreements for 4G LTE networks with 15 more regional and rural network carriers.
The agreements are part of Sprint's Rural Roaming Preferred Provider program that the company announced with the Competitive Carriers Association earlier in the year.
Sprint's program increases the competitiveness of smaller carrier companies in providing high-speed broadband services for mobile deviced by allowing the companies to access nationwide 4G LTE network of Sprint at low cost. The program also allows the smaller carrier companies to gain access to providing more mobile devices within their services.
The new companies that signed up increase the total number of carriers under the program to a total of 27 companies, encompassing coverage over 27 states, almost 600,000 square miles and including over 38 million users.
The 15 carrier companies that joined the program include Bluegrass Cellular, which serves Kentucky; Pine Belt Wireless, which serves Alabama; Blue Wireless, which serves Pennsylvania and New York; Pioneer Cellular, which serves Kansas and Oklahoma; Syringa Wireless, which serves Idaho; and Public Service Wireless, which serves Georgia and Alabama.
Sprint's new agreement with carrier companies also include those with the members and partners of the Rural Independent Network Alliance, which include All West Wireless, which serves Utah and Wyoming; STRATA Networks, which serves Colorado, Utah and Wyoming; NNTC, which serves Colorado; Silver Star Wireless, which serves Idaho and Wyoming; CTC Telecom, which serves Idaho; Snake River Personal Communications, which serves Oregon; Custer Telephone Wireless, which serves Idaho; South Central Communications, which serves Utah; and Breakaway Wireless, which serves Utah.
While the cost of putting up 4G LTE networks are often very expensive for smaller carrier companies to utilize, the agreements with Sprint will make the deployment and adoption of these networks across the United States faster.
Sprint was able to reach agreements with the 27 companies in only a few months.
"By working together, we will bring mobile broadband and better wireless devices to underserved communities while expanding 4G LTE coverage for Sprint customers." said Sprint senior vice president of Corporate and Business Development, Michael Schwartz.
Sprint is currently in a battle with T-Mobile for positioning in the market with new low-cost promos and unlimited data offerings. T-Mobile, targeting primarily Sprint but also other carriers, offers one year of free, unlimited LTE connection to a subscriber and a friend who the subscriber convinced to leave Sprint, or another carrier, to sign up with T-Mobile.
