[Mutiny32]

Rev. B, while it exists, will doubtfully never see any sort of Real-world implementation. Sprint is betting the farm on WiMax and Rev.A. Verizon chose to go to LTE; while that move may be questionable to the passive user because it is essentially switching to a GSM/UMTS network, will align its network's interoperability with the rest of Vodafone's (49% stakeholder in Verizon) global network. This sets up a potential majority buyout of Verizon Wireless from Vodafone in the future.

Sprint is focusing on implementation of an entirely new Wireless network which doesn't cost them as much as GSM/UMTS providers because CDMA requires a network whose towers are closer in proximity to one another. WiMAX and LTE has a similar requirement, so little new towers are needed. GSM providers, on the other hand, have to build-out a lot of new towers. It wouldn't surprise me to see Sprint go the LTE route in the future because it has some essential patents that are owned by Qualcomm.

802.16 is an IEEE standard. While some of the technologies used by are patented, they are all royalty-free. In my eyes, Sprint's decision to go the WiMax route was a big middle-finger to Qcomm for hamstringing sprint with control of the CDMA technology for all of these years (i.e. requiring the Qualcomm stickers on Sprint phones, royalties, and restricted use of 3g patents in non- Qcom phone chipsets)