Sprint came in dead last in our nationwide wireless speed tests last year, but it’s taking steps to improve that. Sprint Spark, which hooks three E wireless frequency bs together for superior speed, is a big step in the right direction. eviously available in a dozen markets, Sprint has just added iladelphia Baltimore to the list, bringing the total to 14.
Sprint’s press release promises “peak wireless speeds” of 60Mbps (real-world speed is likely to be in the 30-40Mbps range; still quite good). Oh, there’s more – HD Voice will roll out in illy Baltimore in the coming weeks, too.
You’ll need a phone compatible with Spark to get the faster speeds. Right now, that list is fairly short: the Galaxy Mega, Galaxy S4 mini, G2, HTC One Max. More Tri-b capable phones are expected this year.
Note that availability in a “market” does not mean that the entire metropolitan area has been upgraded. Even if you’re in one of the cities where Spark is available, depending on which cell towers you’re near, you may or may not get those Tri-b Spark speeds. Such is the nature of wireless network built-outs.