Sprint confirms that it's testing faster "LTE" wireless data service in the Portland area, and says the new technology is "coming soon" -- but the company won't say just how soon.



LTE stands for "Long-Term Evolution," a next-generation wireless service that can be several times faster than the "3G" standard. Verizon and AT&T have already introduced their LTE service in Portland, but Sprint has not.



Earlier this week, though, Portland open source software developer Benjamin Kerensa noted on his blog that LTE-equipped Sprint devices can now access the faster network in parts of the metro area.



"It's not complete yet, but I'm not surprised people are finding it," said Sprint spokeswoman Stephanie Walsh. She said LTE will get an official Portland rollout "soon," but not immediately.



"Soon doesn't mean in the next couple weeks," she said, "but absolutely this year."



-- Mike Rogoway; twitter: @rogoway; phone: 503-294-7699; facebook.com/siliconforestblog



