Sprint introduces international WiFi calling, 30-day service trials and stronger cell towers

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Sprint introduces international WiFi calling, 30-day service trials and stronger cell towers

Rounding out Sprint’s long list of announcements today (earlier we learned about the Samsung Galaxy S5 Sport and new markets for 4G LTE and Sprint Spark) are three changes that are sure to catch your eye. First up is international WiFi calling: you’ll be able to use WiFi networks to make calls in over 100 countries abroad, so if cellular service isn’t quite “right” where you’re staying simply hop onto a WiFi network and do your bidding. Sprint hasn’t given an exact date as to when this feature will be available or if this will be a staggered rollout, though we’re told to be on the lookout for it in the “weeks to come.”

Next up, Sprint is offering 30-day risk free trials to anyone who wants to give the network a run and see if it’s strong enough for their needs. It can be seen as a direct response to T-Mobile’s latest Uncarrier moves which allows you to borrow an iPhone for a bit and take the ol’ network for a spin. Sprint has to be super confident in their network as they offer a 100% money back guarantee, no questions asked (we’re sure they’re at least going to ask you what you thought of your time on the network, though).

Finally, the carrier revealed new 8T8R cellular radios for their towers. These radios promise to push a stronger and more reliable signal over the company’s 2.5GHz spectrum (the one that did a good bit of the heavy lifting before Sprint Spark came along). This should result in even faster speeds across the board, though it will take time to get the deployments going. Commercial availability of the new performance is expected to be made available later this summer.

These announcements aren’t quite bringing the same level of “ZOMG” as T-Mobile’s Uncarrier movement tends to, but if this is the result of T-Mobile pushing other carriers to compete then we hope there’s a lot more where it came from.

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[Update] Sprint 4G LTE comes to 28 new markets while Sprint Spark heads to 3 more

Sprint took to Chicago today to announce new network expansions for those who still aren’t hooked up with the best network they hav to offer. For starters, 4G LTE spreads to 28 new markets today including Seattle, Cleveland and San Jose. We’re still digging for the exact list of new cities but that brings Sprint’s current total up to an impressive 471 markets.

[Update]: Here’s the full list of new cities receiving 4G LTE:

• Johnson City, TN


• San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA


• Bend, OR


• Klamath Falls, OR


• Aberdeen, WA


• Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA


• Shelton, WA


• Pine Bluff, AR


• Bloomington-Normal, IL


• Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH


• Fremont, OH


• Cheyenne, WY


• Dover, DE


• Wilmington, DE-MD


• Yakima, WA


• Jonesboro-Paragould, AR


• Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT


• Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA


• Reading, PA


• Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA


• San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA


• Seneca, SC


• Bangor, ME


• Barre, VT


• Burlington-South Burlington, VT


• Lewiston-Auburn, ME


• Rutland-Bennington, VT


• Port Angeles, WA

To add to that, Sprint also brought Spark network upgrades to three more markets today. Folks in St. Louis, Winston-Salem and Greesnboro, N.C. will now enjoy improved and more reliable network access, faster speeds and more with compatible Sprint Spark smartphones. That brings Spark’s list up to 27 cities comprised of the following:

• Austin, Texas


• Baltimore


• Chicago


• Dallas


• Fort Lauderdale, Fla.


• Fort Worth, Texas


• Houston


• Jacksonville, Fla.


• Kansas City, Kan./Mo.


• Los Angeles


• Miami


• New York


• Newark, N.J.


• Oakland, Calif.


• Orlando, Fla.


• Philadelphia


• Provo, Utah


• Salt Lake City


• San Antonio


• St. Louis


• Tacoma, Wash.


• Tampa, Fla.


• Trenton, N.J


• Waukegan, Ill.


• Winston-Salem, N.C.


• Greensboro, N.C.


• West Palm Beach, Fla.

And Sprint hopes to cover 100 million more people with the upgrades by the end of this year. Sprint promises average speeds between 6 megabits and 15 megabits per second, while they claim the network (under the most ideal conditions, we’re sure) can deliver speeds up to 50 and 60 megabits per second. The new high frequency spectrum also improves building penetration so you can get a stronger signal in less favorable locations.

Those without Spark-enabled phones still benefit from these network upgrades as less congestion equals more bandwidth. Be sure to give it a spin if you have a compatible smartphone and you live in one of these new markets.

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