Sprint is Running an LTE Marathon

Even though it only offers LTE service in 19 metropolitan areas across Kansas, Georgia, Texas, and Missouri, Sprint (NYSE:S), the United States’ number four mobile provider, reported it has sold 1 million phones supporting the high-speed wireless technology to date.

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Speaking at Goldman Sachs’ Communacopia Conference in New York City yesterday, CEO of Sprint Nextel, Dan Hesse, said Samsung’s (SSNLF.PK) Galaxy S III and HTC’s (HTCCY.PK) Evo 4G represent 90 percent of Sprint’s LTE smartphone sales.

Sprint inaugurated its commercial LTE network in July 2012 with service to five cities, and as of this week, more than 100 cities across the U.S. receive its 4G coverage. The company said it had been selling LTE devices before the network even supported the service. As it stands, Sprint covers only a fraction of the territory of Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) and AT&T (NYSE:T), but within the next year-and-a-half, the mobile phone provider plans to expand the network significantly.

According to spokesman Bill White, the company’s sales figures do not include any Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone 5 devices. However, with the new iPhone shipping on Friday, Hesse did say he anticipated the phone to be a strong-selling device.

Sprint shares rose 7 percent on Wednesday, closing at $5.56.

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