Free wireless internet provider FreedomPop to go LTE

Back in May of this year, we told you about FreedomPop. The up-and-coming wireless broadband provider plans to disrupt the traditional carrier model with a combination of free 4G service, and iPhone products.

The idea sounded great on paper: offer iPhone users free service in exchange for buying these $99 cases with built-in FreedomPop modems. But sadly, the company seemed intent on using WiMAX technology…

For those who don’t know, WiMAX technology is slowly being phased out by most major carriers and broadband providers, in favor of faster options. Sprint, for example, has been touting its 4G WiMAX network for years, but is currently in the process of switching everything over to LTE.

But it looks like FreedomPop has had a change of heart. The company just announced that it’s planning to switch from Clearwire’s WiMAX network to Sprint’s LTE network by the end of 2012.

So why should any of this matter to you? Well because come this fall, iPhone users might just have a chance to experience LTE data speeds without having to upgrade their handsets.

FreedomPop’s official launch is still months away. But if you’re interested, you can find out more information about the service and sign up for updates and early access by clicking here.

What do you think? Does this make FreedomPop’s service more appealing?

[GigaOM]