Beceem, now Broadcom, and Sequans have already made bimodal WiMax and LTE radios, enabling roaming between WiMax and LTE, hence the prevailing technology is readily available for Sprint to develop such phones using this technology.

FORBES: Pride Is More Expensive Than Ever

The complexity and cost of firing people in Europe is a big concern for American venture capital, says Georges Karam, the chief executive of Sequans Communications, a French chipmaker for smartphones which went public on the New York Stock Exchange last year.

ECONOMIST: European entrepreneurs