Cricket to create LTE hotspots

Cricket, has said that they will build LTE hotspots in 2011. I’m not sure exactly what this means, but it sounds along the lines of Wi-Fi hotspots, in that they will cover limited areas and not expand across Cricket’s entire coverage area. This seems a bit curious, though I’m curious to see exactly how it’s implemented. Perhaps this quote from CEO Doug Hutcheson helps illuminate the plan:

We are not focused on doing it ourselves. There are alternatives out there that operate within our model.

He went on to say that the alternative include entities such as WiMax provider Clearwire. In other words, it sounds like Leap plans to create patches of LTE coverage, which they can supplement with network sharing agreements. In other words, it in a way follows the business model they currently employ. At first I wondered why they wouldn’t just create Wi-Fi hotspots, but the answer, I think, is that even in hotspots form LTE will cover a larger area. A Wi-Fi hotspots covers a building and maybe a small radius outside. An LTE hotspot might range for miles. Cricket’s plan is to roll out the LTE network in 2011, but with its big expansions coming in the following years. ]]>