Despite some indications that Sprint's fortunes (and network) are slowly improving, the company is slated to remain the nation's fourth largest wireless carrier for the next five years, claims one research firm. A new research note by Strategy Analytics notes that T-Mobile's brash, consumer friendly moves have helped the company leapfrog Sprint into the nation's third biggest carrier spot, and it's likely going to stay there.
"We have T-Mobile probably pulling ahead of Sprint now, this year," Strategy Analytics' Susan Welsh de Grimaldo
said in an interview.
“But Sprint’s getting there,” Welsh de Grimaldo said in an interview. “They really do need to keep executing and finding out what moves the needle."
Sprint's doing everything in its power to shore up consumer perception of the company's brand after being acquired by SoftBank back in 2012. Since then, the new Sprint has jettisoned an endless stream of executives, shuttered the company's Clearwire brand, and has made continual promises that their network will start getting better any day now.
A healthier Sprint is of course good for everyone by applying competitive pressure on T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon. However Sprint's attempts haven't come without the occasional flubs, like the carrier's recent (now reversed) decision to throttle all unlimited data user video
to 600 kbps, or CEO Marcelo Claure's recently awkward attempt at
Twitter trash talk.
