OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sprint today announced that it has doubled its number of LTE Plus markets, and an analysis of new mobile performance data from Nielsen, the world’s foremost authority on independent measurement, now shows that Sprint’s LTE Plus Network beats Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile by delivering the fastest LTE download speeds.

Nielsen Mobile Performance (NMP) data measures how real consumers are experiencing their wireless network. NMP tracks LTE download speeds as consumers use their devices in day-to-day life, including use of common applications such as Facebook, Netflix, YouTube, Snapchat and more. This continual monitoring captures the actual customer experience and works uninterrupted in the background of volunteer panelists’ mobile devices, representing a population of more than 270 million consumers.

“Over 75 million downloads, collected from real consumers in cities across the country, show that Sprint wins where it matters – the actual customer experience. Our customers are experiencing a network that’s faster than the competition, and there’s never been a better time to give Sprint a try.”

Marcelo Claure, CEO

In the October – December 2015 timeframe, Nielsen collected more than 75 million mobile download events in cities across the country covering more than 270 million people. An analysis of the data shows Sprint delivers faster LTE download speeds than Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile.1 In the August – October 2015 timeframe an analysis of NMP data showed Sprint delivered faster LTE download speeds than Verizon and AT&T.

The Sprint LTE Plus Network has doubled to cover more than 150 markets, with service now available in twice as many cities from Boulder, CO, to West Palm Beach, FL; and Cleveland, OH, to Syracuse, NY. LTE Plus takes advantage of Sprint’s rich triband spectrum portfolio, and it uses some of the world’s most advanced technologies in wireless, such as carrier aggregation and antenna beamforming. Key benefits to customers include:

Faster service with double the network capacity and speed, and peak speeds in excess of 100Mbps on capable devices

with double the network capacity and speed, and peak speeds in excess of 100Mbps on capable devices Stronger service with smart antenna technology that extends the 2.5GHz cell signal further

with smart antenna technology that extends the 2.5GHz cell signal further More reliable service utilizing three bands of spectrum – 1.9GHz for broad coverage, 800MHz for better indoor service, and 2.5GHz for even faster data speeds

Switch to Sprint and Save 50%

In addition to delivering the fastest LTE download speeds, consumers switching to Sprint can take advantage of the biggest wireless offer in U.S. history – 50 percent off the price of most Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile rate plans.2 Customers who switch get 50 percent off most current standard rate plan prices from their current carrier. And, Sprint will pay switching fees up to $650 per line via an American Express® Reward Card after online registration and phone turn-in.3

About Sprint

Sprint (NYSE:S) is a communications services company that creates more and better ways to connect its customers to the things they care about most. Sprint served more than 58.6 million connections as of September 30, 2015 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; leading no-contract brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. Sprint has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) North America for the past five years. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.