T-Mobile plans to unleash blazing 21Mbps HSPA+ in mid-2010

News

t-mobile-logoT-Mobile might have been last in launching a 3G network in the U.S., but that hasn’t stopped it from moving right along. We had already known that T-Mobile was planning on lighting up its 7.2Mbps speeds in some cities by the end of 2009, but it looks like HSPA+ is kicking in just months later. Slated for mid-2010, a number of U.S. markets will have data speeds of up to 21Mbps on T-Mobile’s network. There are also a decent amount of handsets that will be able to take advantage of the 7.2Mbps kick, like the G1, CLIQ and the myTouch 3G, but we’re really looking for what T-Mobile has in store for the masses once HSPA+ hits. In addition to the speed upgrades, the company is also continuing to spread its 3G footprint across the country. Now where are those Nokia N900s with AWS 3G support?

Read

72 Comments
  • Jim

    T-Mobile gave me $90 for not having 3G built out yet in my area.

    COMPLAINT ACTIVITY REPORT Case # XXXXXXXX Better Business Bureau serving Alaska, Oregon & Western Washington

    Consumer’s Original Complaint :
    T-Mobile advertises that it has “nationwide 3G Coverage”. It does not. I live in XXXXXXXX and was told when I bought my new smartphone that I would have 3G “very shortly”. I (and others) should receive a discount on their bill if they are not receiving 3G when they were told that they would.

    Consumer’s Desired Resolution:
    Provide discount if 3G is not available but are being charged.

    BBB Processing

    11/01/2009 web BBB Complaint Received by BBB
    11/02/2009 TRR2 BBB Case Determined to be INFO ONLY
    11/02/2009 Otto EMAIL Inform Consumer – Info Only Complaint Received
    11/02/2009 Otto EMAIL Inform Business Of Information Only Complaint
    11/04/2009 WEB BBB RECEIVED IO BUSINESS RESPONSE : November 4, 2009
    FILED ELECTRONICALLY
    Bureau Services
    Better Business Bureau of
    Alaska, Oregon, & Western Washington
    PO BOX 1000
    DuPont, WA 98327
    Re: XXXXXXXX
    Your File No. XXXXXXXX
    T-Mobile Account No. XXXXXXXXX
    To Whom It May Concern:
    T-Mobile USA, Inc. (”T-Mobile”) is in receipt of your letter dated November 2, 2009 regarding the above-referenced account.
    T-Mobile works to continually enhance network quality to offer better coverage to our customers. Our 3G, also known as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network is launching in phases. New cities will launch as they are tuned for optimal performance or in conjunction with marketing programs for new and innovative services or phones. T-Mobile urges Mr. XXXXXXXX to view our website for launch dates. However at this time, we do not have a launch date for Mr. XXXXXXXX’s area.
    As a courtesy, T-Mobile has agreed to issue a credit to the account in the amount of $89.98 for one monthly access charge.
    Based on the foregoing, we respectfully request that the complaint against T-Mobile be closed.
    Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at the address listed below.
    Very truly yours,
    T-MOBILE USA, INC.

    11/04/2009 TRR2 EMAIL Inform Consumer of IO Business Response
    11/04/2009 Otto BBB Case Closed INFO ONLY

  • Matt Thompson

    Took them nearly a year to get 3G to us in Bakersfield, CA (can you find it on a map without searching?), odd that they don’t have it up in Louisville yet. Verizon and AT&T dominate this valley market, too.

  • webby

    As some have said, I would rather see them expand their existing 3G coverage than speed up coverage.

    I was with T-Mobile for a full year, being an early adopter of the G1. I found the company’s customer service to be stellar, and had no problem with their voice coverage personally, but T-Mo’s 3G coverage was thin. Even tho there is 3G where I live, I would run out of it sometimes, and the same when I would travel.

    So since I love the Android OS, I busted my T-Mo contract and sprung for the droid on a better 3G network. The result is that at my home in the exact same spot, running the same speed test application, I get a full 50% faster speeds with the droid than I did with my G1. Holy Batman! That is significant!

    So I don’t know if that is due to the faster processor in the droid as opposed to the G1. Or because Verizon’s 3G network is just faster. I’m guessing it might be a combination of the two, but that is just an educated guess. At any rate, as Forest Gump might say, “I don’t rightly noes what all they puts in that there gumbo, but it sure do go down gud.” Or in techie jargon, “Sick, dewd.”

  • matt

    “-Mobile is already trialling 21Mbps HSPA+ in the Philadelphia market, and plans to upgrade its HSPA footprint to HSPA+ across the country beginning in the middle of 2010″

    So this means all of their current 3g zones will go HSPA+ in the next 8 months…. Awesome

  • Ben

    I have no idea why US carriers don’t have better coverage. Telus and Bell have HSPA+ Network which is nation wide in a country with 1/10th the population of the US but with the same width of continent. How is it that 93% of Canada’s population has coverage and yet ATT (the biggest HSPA provider in the US) can only do 75%? Everyone says we get screwed on pricing, but at least we have GOOD high speed coverage.

    • iMiiTH

      They also made that network on top of a CDMA network in about a years time. :P

      Besides the fact that people only live in about a third of the country.. :)

  • proof200

    This will also be great for those of us who tether our latops to our phones. So ill have faster internet everywhere in Chicago but slower internet at home. Never thought this would happen but….. Never say never.

  • scroffy

    Just have voice connection in places first. TMo blows chunks in most of the US

  • dvd03

    cant wait, but honestly id rather have a more solid 3g coverage area , but at least there moving in the right direction, maybe this will buy them time to expand there nation wide coverage

  • sikkboy626

    Sweet, bring that lightning to Los Angeles!

    Posted from BGR Mobile (iPhone) at: Irwindale North America

  • acura

    dont bitch jim-

  • Danny

    I use Verizon, but I still want Catherine Zeta Jones to come to my house to do a Mobile Makeover… ;-)

    Back on topic: T-Mobile works really well here in the Los Angeles area. I use them for work as my company subscribes to their BlackBerry services.

    I’m interested in the new Bold 9700. Even if the device doesn’t support anything faster than 3.6 Mbps, the higher speeds will mean I will average higher speeds regardless and more consistently.

    PS: What’s up with all the Verizon Retail Store Trolls all over the web? They simply are puppets like the other poster said who foolishly promote a company that charges higher prices even in areas they aren’t worth it. Don’t get me wrong they are decent, but not everyone needs a nationwide 3G network. Some Americans are just dumb and buy into that marketing hype.

  • chris

    t-mobile was the last to the 3g-party in albuquerque, and their deployment left out approximately 35,000 people in a suburb of the city. they should be focusing on getting 3g in more major markets before they start marketing big speed bumps.

  • Dwayne

    T-Mobile is really impressing me. They have already started to come out with better phones and with the HD2 on the horizon, they are looking to be in good shape. All of this seems to be bad mews for Sprint. Everyone else is getting better, and they are still lagging behind. T-Mobile will Sion take over the number three spot in carriers.

  • Gregg

    No need to worry about T-Mo. As it was cleverly mentioned at the beginning. “DT” or Deutsche Telekom is over 160 million strong in Germany. Which is “almost” the size of AT&T and Verizon together. So don’t be surprised if they come out with guns blazing. They are a little behind the us power curve but they have the money to make it happen. Good thing about going 21 HSPA, they already have the backhaul in place. They just need to software upgrade to switch to LTE.

  • http://www.maemo-freak.com christexaport

    I see them buying Clear and possibly Sprint whenever LTE comes along. But LTE speeds will have to be alot faster than HSPA 21 Mbps to make it feasible.

  • JakeMG

    Yeah, I am all for the 3G upgrade, as long as they also expand coverage. I live in suburb of chicago, and, although the map on Tmobile.com says I get 3g at home (and shows me right in the middle of a 3g cloud), I switch back to edge about a block from my house. :(

  • Ghostnyc

    TMO has a lot of catching up to do with regards to their network. VZE & ATT are already working on LTE, Sprint is already using LTE/4G.
    TMO Customer service USE to be amazing, but as of lately they have been horrible. Im speaking from experience 12+ yrs worth with TMO (formerly Voicestream – formerly Omnipoint)

    • http://www.maemo-freak.com christexaport

      TMO has the same amount of LTE network deployment as everyone else in the world. NONE! Sprint is using WiMax, not LTE. And while all of the acronyms mean little, speed is everything. And guess what? WiMax speeds on Sprint are about 6.4 Mbps up and 2.5 Mbps down. TMobileUSA’s 3G network will match the “4G” of WiMax on the uplink, having already shown speeds of 5.4 Mbps up and 1 Mbps down. What speeds will Verizon and at&t deliver with LTE? What sort of latency rates? You don’t even know, and neither do they, since LTE is still in the testing phase.

      TMobileUSA has covered more people with 3G in the one year their competitors were able to, and should have a similar footprint to at&t by Q2 2011. They’ve deployed their network faster than any other network I can think of. Nearly every major metro area is covered, and expansion of those areas is coming at an alarming rate.

      By the way, TMobileUSA is STILL the leader in mobile customer service and satisfaction. You can always switch to at&t for a wakeup call…

  • bchan

    Anyone know if the Moto Cliq can take advantage of HSPD+? What’s the fastest download speeds for the Moto Cliq, BB 9700, N900, and Behold2?
    Thanks

    • http://www.maemo-freak.com christexaport

      N900 specs:
      10 Mbps download
      2 Mbps upload

      Not sure about the others.

  • http://Myspace.com/fuxxwitmeonthekick Jaime Orozco

    Does anyone know or anyone like to drop their 2 cents on this ….

    With the increase of speed do you think the people that get the speed intheir citys who have an iphone will be able to use it on that Network considering the fact that as of right now we are running on Edge…

    • http://www.maemo-freak.com christexaport

      the iPhone doesn’t operate on AWS 3G, so would be stuck on EDGE for data. It needs 1700/2100 MHz for TMoUSA 3G, but they’re stuck with at&t.

      • http://www.maemo-freak.com christexaport

        The iPhone is an at&t exclusive in the US. If you want 3G, you gotta to with them. You’ve unlocked your device, but you can’t add the necessary radios…

  • wirecup

    15Nov09: T-mobile 3G Installations May Be Dead!
    T-mobiles support web site says today that they do not have a 3G implementation plan. Only city “core” areas may get 3G and everything else is considered a rural area. (i.e. they can not say who may get 3G and who will not get 3G other than saying rural areas will not get 3G). Even if you have T-mobile voice coverage today, you still may never get 3G data coverage! They also do not have an installation date for any areas that may get 3G. Is their 3G map worse than you know who?

    • Charles Ferguson

      Link it please. Until then, this is opinion.

  • MadeyeFergy

    When this does happen, Storm 2 for me on T-Mo.

  • Akram

    I don’t believe T-Mo intend to offer the Storm as this is not the most stellar BB. They currently offer the 9700 which is the best BB out there todate.
    For those who are concerned about 3G coverage in the US, please keep in mind the US is a huge country and it cost billions of dollars to build 3G networks. Not only that, US carriers all have a tough battle with the FCC, local goverments and where towers can be located. So, it is not that carriers don’t want to improve their coverage, there are a lot of elements that goes into play.
    T-Mobile is a growing nationwide carrier and continue to offer ground breaking devices and services.

  • Hugh Jass

    there are 160 million people in Germany? They should but that Berlin Wall thing back up.

1 2
blog comments powered by Disqus