Sprint seems to think its 4G tech would make an excellent replacement for the old-school T-1 lines many businesses have been relying on to keep them connected to the web since the 1970s. You may remember that WiMAX was originally pitched as a "last mile" solution as well as the next generation of mobile broadband. Well, the wireless carrier rocking black and yellow is taking the plunge on fixed-access 802.16 and targeting enterprise customers. The speeds are the same that everyone toting an Evo is already accustomed to (3 to 6Mbps down and 2.5Mbps up), but with a guaranteed 99.95 percent availability. When compared to traditional wired business connections, WiMAX is both both quicker to deploy and cheaper to operate, but Sprint will certainly face an uphill battle in trying to convince businesses to ditch the tried-and-true T-1. Check out the full PR after the break.
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Sprint Launches 4G Enterprise WAN for Businesses
Industry's first solution to offer bundled 4G and 3G wireless WAN connectivity, with secure and reliable access to Sprint Global MPLS; Explorer Pipeline experiences significant cost savings and improved productivity
OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sprint (NYSE: S) now offers businesses Sprint 4G Enterprise WAN (wide area network), a fixed wireless access solution that provides speed, reliability and secure wireless connectivity to the Sprint Global MPLS network. Not only can wireless connectivity open a world of possibilities by allowing people to work virtually anywhere, now Sprint 4G can enable businesses to replace or improve on traditional "wired" options with a solution that is cost-effective, fast and flexible to deploy without compromising bandwidth and network reliability, available within all Sprint 4G markets.
"Sprint understands the critical challenges facing businesses today, which demand innovative solutions to address higher bandwidth needs, business continuity, and cost reduction in a recovering economy," said Tom Roberts, vice president of business marketing, Sprint. "With 4G Enterprise WAN, Sprint delivers customers increased flexibility for their branch locations or retail operations through high-speed wireless connectivity and more built-in reliability than typical wireline – creating a real competitive advantage for their business."
Using professionally installed business-class outdoor modems, Sprint 4G Enterprise WAN provides secure 4G and 3G wireless access as primary and secondary network connectivity, backed by a 99.95 percent availability service level agreement (SLA). With faster time-to-deployment, 15 business days in contrast to the often lengthy process of ordering traditional wireline circuits, Sprint 4G Enterprise WAN is an alternative to the traditional T-1, or a whole new way to bring data connectivity to remote locations where the installation of traditional dedicated circuits is problematic.
Explorer Pipeline, operator of a 1,900-mile fuel pipeline from the Gulf Coast to the Midwest, is an early user of Sprint 4G Enterprise WAN at its storage facility in Houston. Senior Network Engineer Greg Wagnon says the ease of the installation was "incredible" and that the 4G solution has immediately improved the productivity of technicians at the site.
"They get the data they need from the Internet and the corporate office to go out and do their work. They spend less time waiting for the information they want and more time doing work on the pipeline. I see a direct increase in productivity," Wagnon said. "The network speeds are faster, and I didn't have to go to the phone company to dig a trench for a T-1. I don't have to deal with tariffs and local loops. It's so much easier to just hang an antenna."
Wagnon estimates the cost savings for this single site at $4,500 per year over a T-1, and anticipates deploying another site immediately, eventually rolling to as many as two dozen locations.
With unlimited 4G usage, average download speeds of 3-6 Mbps (peak speeds of over 10 Mbps) and peak upload speeds of 2.5 Mbps, Sprint 4G Enterprise WAN is ideal for many business situations that simply need a robust data connection, including:
Branch office locations and retail operations
As a more flexible and cost-effective data deployment option
Business-class bandwidth in many places where it simply wasn't available before, thanks to the high speed connectivity provided by Sprint 4G.
Sprint offers America's Favorite 4G Network*, which is up to 10 times faster than 3G today. Sprint 4G is currently available in 71 markets across the country, including Atlanta, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and New York City. Sprint first launched 4G in Baltimore in September 2008 and in conjunction with Clearwire continues to build its 4G service for consumers and business users across the country.
For more information about Sprint 4G Enterprise WAN, including a video and white paper, visit www.sprint.com/convergence. To join in the latest discussions on workplace convergence, visit www.seamlessenterprise.com.
Sprint 4G Enterprise WAN and other converged solutions are available through Sprint Business, which is composed of sales, support, marketing and operations personnel solely dedicated to enterprise, small and medium-sized business and public sector customers. Sprint delivers wireless, wireline and converged solutions for companies, drawing on its 3G and 4G wireless capabilities, push-to-talk network, Global IP network and growing portfolio of M2M partners and solutions.
* America's Favorite 4G Claim: Based on number of Sprint 4G subscribers vs. those on other wireless 4G (WiMax and LTE) networks in the U.S.
About Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served more than 51 million customers at the end of 1Q 2011 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 6 in its 2010 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation's greenest companies, the highest of any telecommunications company. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.
