Sprint plans to expand LTE into rural nooks with 12 roaming deals

Sprint’s LTE rollout may be behind those of its nationwide competitors, but it appears to be getting close to completion.

Its 4G network now covers 225 million people, and it plans to hit the 250 million mark by mid-year. It kicked off a program that brings its 4G coverage to small markets and rural areas it never planned to target with 4G service.

Sprint announced roaming agreements with 12 regional and rural carriers as part of a LTE network sharing agreement with the Competitive Carrier Association and the NetAmerica Alliance. The idea is to create a common device portfolio and nationwide LTE footprint that Sprint and all its regional partners can share in.