Sprint Benefits From iPad Sales Too!
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Sprint CEO Dan Hesse says his company is enjoying the success of the iPad just as much as its competitors, despite the fact that it doesn’t actually sell the device in its stores.
During a GigaOm interview, Hesse explained that the majority of iPads being sold are Wi-Fi and all these WiFi enabled iPads are consequently increasing demand for its Overdrive mobile wireless hotspot. The Overdrive device allows iPad owners to connect to the Internet on the go at 4G speeds, using Clear’s 4G WiMax based network, and drops back to Sprint’s 3G network when 4G is not available.
Sprint recognized the iPad opportunity very early and even marketed their Overdrive WiFi router and service to iPad owners. The company offered an iPad case that included a special pocket designed specifically to hold the Overdrive router. The case was free to any customer purchasing the Overdrive at participating Best Buy stores.
Sprint and T-Mobile currently are the only two national wireless providers not currently selling the iPad. Hesse wouldn’t comment about his company being left out of the most recent iPad carrier distribution agreements, but he still seemed happy with the bump his company is getting through increased Overdrive sales to iPad owners.
Sprint has been struggling over the past several years and has fought to get costs under control as it has lost customers. There has been some recent speculation that Apple is developing a CDMA based iPhone for Verizon and such a device could possibly find its way over to Sprint’s 3G CDMA network. We’ll have to wait and see on that one.
