Building on what septembersrain points out, the contract with Clearwire runs through the end of 2015 - that's more than 3 years from now. That's not "soon". Any Wi-Max phone bought today will continue to work just fine for a long time to come.
Agreed, WiMax will run at least 3 more years and, in addition, it appears part of the deal with Softbank buying Sprint is to completely buyout WiMax -- meaning Sprint can keep WiMax even longer. Though, my understanding, the long range plan is to convert Clearwire over to LTE -- using the excess Clearwire bandwidth to improve Sprint's LTE service.
Nobody, not Verizon, not AT&T, has a "nationwide" LTE network. None of the major U.S. network operators have completed their initial LTE build out. Verizon and AT&T have more cities than Sprint now, but the build out is ongoing and the gap will close. (T-Mobile is barely getting started on building out LTE and is dead last in the LTE build-out race. I'm not sure why you included them.)
I think the main point is he said "4G" and not LTE -- and by that standard T-Mobile does have the largest "4G Network". As you point out, what is considered "4G" at this point is a moving target. Both AT&T and T-Mobile have used HSPA+ to mean 4G and, in many cities, HSPA+ speeds are similar to the LTE speeds you get from AT&T or Verizon (based on
fastest mobile networks study done by PC Mag).
I do agree, even counting WiMax and HSPA+ as 4G, no network has nationwide 4G. And, counting only LTE, Verizon has by far the largest LTE network. Hopefully Sprint and T-Mobile, especially after T-Mobile's plans to merge with MetroPCS, will be able to start implementing their LTE networks quickly. Or, at least, I feel that way as I feel we need strong competition in the mobile phone market.
The definition of "true 4G" is changed by the ITU every five minutes due to pressure from member nations who are pressured by their big network operators. It's not worth worrying about whether something is 3.5G or 4G or "real 4G" since the ITU keeps bending to pressure and changing the definition.
I don't care if it's "9G", I just care about being able to consistently achieve great download and upload speeds. The underlying technology and nomenclature is just a distraction and often times nothing more than baloney from the Marketing dept.
And I think this is the point for most people. I had an Evo V for about 3 weeks, then returned it to switch to a Galaxy Nexus on T-Mobile. I've had no serious regrets (though there have been, as is typical, minor issues that I've preferred on VM). I like not having to turn "4G" on and off, to conserve battery life, but pretty much always (in the areas I live and use my phone) being able to get similar speeds to what I got from WiMax. I also don't miss being occasionally dropped to "dialup speeds" in some areas (particularly in buildings) where I could not get a WiMax signal, as VM 3G speeds tended to be slow where I live.
To me, the trick is being able to find a mobile plan you are happy with, at a price point you are willing to pay, and getting speeds you find acceptable. Unfortunately, with mobile networks, it seems hard to really find what will work best for you -- especially with how widely coverage and connection speeds can vary between carriers.
