Sprint Nextel has named Matt Carter, current vice president of prepaid, as president of the company’s 4G division. Carter will oversee the company’s continuing rollout of 4G WiMAX services. The appointment will be effective Jan. 11.

According to James Fisher, a spokesman for Sprint, the company did not previously have a president of 4G, so Carter will essentially be creating the position on the fly.

Carter joined Sprint in 2006 as senior vice president for base management before taking the leadership position at Boost Mobile in 2008. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Inbrics Company Limited, a Korean device company.

Sprint’s prepaid division, Boost Mobile, was the carrier’s largest growth area in 2009. This year, Fisher said, Sprint’s largest growth area will be 4G, which makes Carter a natural fit for the position.

Sprint’s 4G WiMAX service is now available in 27 markets covering 30 million POPs. Fisher said Sprint 4G should be available in 80 markets, covering 120 million POPs by the end of 2010.