Sprint names Matt Carter new head of 4G

Sprint Nextel named Matt Carter, currently president of its Boost Mobile prepaid unit, as the new chief of its 4G effort, where he will manage the carrier's mobile WiMAX business. Todd Rowley, currently vice president of Sprint 4G, will report to Carter, Sprint spokesman James Fisher told FierceWireless. The change will be effective Jan. 11.

Matt Carter sprint 4gSprint, which is a wholesale customer and majority owner of Clearwire, has been rolling out its own Sprint 4G-branded service in Clearwire's mobile WiMAX markets, which it intends to continue next year. Clearwire plans to launch 80 markets by the end of 2010.

Dan Schulman, formerly the CEO of Virgin Mobile USA and now the president of Sprint's prepaid business, will manage all of Sprint's prepaid employees, and Carter's former Boost team will report to Schulman. Sprint finalized its acquisition of Virgin Mobile late last month.

Carter came to Sprint in 2006 as senior vice president for base management, before taking the leadership position at Boost in 2008. This year, he presided over the introduction of Boost's $50 monthly unlimited plan, which helped augment Sprint's prepaid wireless growth. Carter was one of FierceWireless' 25 most powerful people for 2009.

Fisher said Sprint will be ramping up its 4G marketing and services next year, and Carter will help the company make that a major focus. "Matt's leadership fits very well with 4G at a time when this is a big growth element for us," he said.

For more:
- see this release

Related Articles:
Sprint's Hesse commits to Clearwire, hints at new 4G pricing scenario
Sprint buying Virgin Mobile USA for $483M
UPDATED: Clearwire confirms $1.5B in new funding
Sprint's plan of attack
Sprint's Hesse discusses the carrier's growth plan