Sprint has apparently worked out a deal with WiMax partner Clearwire in which more than 6,500 Radio Shack stores get WiMax repeaters ahead of the Sprint launch of the HTC EVO 4G.

While installing the WiMax repeaters might actually be a stroke of genius on Sprint’s part, it is unlikely to make a dent in the pain that customers who do end up buying into WiMax will feel with that $10 per month surcharge that must pay.

Actually, being able to see firsthand the difference between 3G and 4G performance could lead to a lot of sales for Sprint; and right now, Sprint could use a good decision that would gain them some customers. It is expected that the HTC EVO 4G, which is the first WiMax handset offering from Sprint, could be successful but it is necessary for the public to experience the 4G speeds; and that is where Radio Shack comes in. With the broad store distribution and the ability to go to any Radio Shack store and experience WiMax, this could be a significant boost to sales.

While there is no word on how much range these WiMax repeaters will have outside the actual Sprint store, we suspect that it is unlikely that it will not be much. Given this fact and that the continued slow rollout of WiMax by both Sprint and Clearwire does not yet provide enough actual 4G coverage, many potential buyers might be turned off to making the leap to WiMax today. (This could also be complicated by the suggestion from Sprint that they, too, might end up moving to LTE at some point in the future!)