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Sprint apparently has plans to unlock a certain functionality hidden in a number of its marquee handsets (including flagship devices from Samsung and Apple) that will essentially allow these devices to take full advantage of a piece of wireless tech that will deliver faster connection speeds. This was revealed much by Gunther Ottendorfer, the chief operating officer of the major US wireless carrier, just this week.
To date, Sprint is considered the fourth biggest mobile operator in the United States behind Verizon Wireless, AT&T, and T-Mobile. But if it could successfully execute its plans for boosting connection speeds for its subscribers, it just might catch up or even surpass some of the competition. For the longest time, Sprint has had to deal with the not always fair public perception that its network lags behind its rivals. If it does unlock enhanced speeds, there is no doubt that it will be attracting plenty of sign ups real soon.
Regarding the hidden feature, Sprint’s plan is to activate the functionality by way of a software update rolled out over the air. Technically speaking, the update will allow Sprint devices to make use of a wireless technology called 3 x carrier aggregation. Such tech will basically set up a wider and faster channel in which YouTube videos and Rihanna songs can be streamed in fast speeds. Among the devices expected to get an update are Samsung’s Galaxy S7, Apple’s iPhone 7, Google’s Pixel, and LG’s G5. Last month, Sprint had launched HTC’s Bolt -- this handset was the first smartphone to use 3 x carrier aggregation. How about older devices? The good news is that the wireless carrier is claiming that older models will also receive the software update.
It is worth noting though that in order for these devices to start using 3 x carrier aggregation, they have to be activated in markets where the wireless tech is effective. To date, there are only a total of nine such markets. Still, Sprint has put itself in a good position to leverage the technology. After all, the mobile operator currently makes use of a trio of different types of spectrum, including a higher frequency band in the 2.5 GigaHertz range. The higher the frequency band, the more effective the spectrum is in terms of capacity and connection speed. Via carrier aggregation, Sprint can use all three bands in order to deliver a more consistent and faster coverage.
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