T-Mobile Launches HSPA+ for 85-Million Americans, 100-Million More Before Year’s End
[Update]: My article was worded incorrectly to suggest T-Mobile had 85-million subscribers on their network. That is false. I’ve updated the text to reflect that they’re covering 85-million Americans – some of which aren’t necessarily T-Mobile customers.
T-Mobile’s announcing their biggest Anerican HSPA+ expansion yet as they’re now covering 85-million Americans (all are not necessarily subscribers). They’ve expressed plans to get the high-speed mobile data network out to 100 metropolitan areas before the year’s over, bringing that number up to 185-million.
Cities like San Antonio, Milwaukee, WI, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and more have all been lit up this morning as the expansion continues to spread like wildfire (full list of cities can be found in the press release below). While there are no Android devices that are HSPA+ compatible yet, most of their 3G-enabled devices will benefit from the upgrade (the newly released Samsung Vibrant being their biggest example).
We’re fully expecting T-Mobile to launch an Android device with the guts to take advantage of the new network which can offer download speeds of up to 21 megabits per second. The higher-than-high-end HTC Vision has long been rumored as that device with a launch expected to happen this September. Hopefully all of T-Mobile’s Android handsets continue to be designed with HSPA+ in mind. Read on for the full press details.
T-Mobile® HSPA+ Network now delivers broadest reach of 4G speeds in U.S.
Customers also will benefit from speed boosts on 16 of T-Mobile’s available 3G devices and
expanded availability of mobile broadband products in nearly 50 marketsBELLEVUE, Wash.—July 21, 2010 — Today, T-Mobile USA, Inc. announced the continued expansion of its super-fast mobile broadband network to more than 85 million Americans—the most pervasive network to offer 4G speeds in the country. T-Mobile is on track to deliver HSPA+ speeds in 100 major metropolitan areas with backhaul in place, covering 185 million people in the U.S. by the end of this year.
Now HSPA+ network service is available in nearly 50 major metropolitan areas across the country, with the newest additions including Austin, El Paso, Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Waco, Texas; Baltimore, Md.; Baton Rouge and Lafayette, La.; Birmingham, Ala.; Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Dayton, Ohio; Ft. Lauderdale and Jacksonville, Fla.; Greenville, S.C.; Honolulu, Hawaii; Indianapolis, Ind.; Kansas City and St. Louis, Mo.; Milwaukee, Wis.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Portland, Ore.; and Wichita, Kan. In addition, T-Mobile has expanded coverage in cities in previously announced metropolitan areas including Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C. 4G speeds are now available for customers in Alexandria, McLean and Reston, Va.; Anaheim, Burbank, Glendale, Irvine, Long Beach, and Ontario, CA; Annapolis, Bethesda and Chevy Chase, Md.; and Asheville and Hickory, N.C.
In addition, 16 of T-Mobile’s current 3G devices, including more than a dozen smartphones, can benefit from enhanced speeds when they’re on the super-fast HSPA+ network in all of these major metropolitan areas, including the newest smartphone available from T-Mobile—the Samsung Vibrant. And later this summer, T-Mobile will unveil its first HSPA+-capable smartphone. More details will be available in the coming weeks.
“T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network now offers 4G speeds to more people than any other wireless network in the country,” said Neville Ray, chief network officer for T-Mobile USA. “The aggressive pace of our HSPA+ network rollout means our customers can enjoy a better mobile broadband experience on more devices in more places today—but we’re not done yet. Our first HSPA+ smartphone is coming soon and our footprint will double between now and the end of the year.”
Complementing the network expansion is wider availability of the T-Mobile webConnect broadband products in T-Mobile retail stores in all HSPA+ areas including the webConnect Rocket™ USB Laptop Stick, the first HSPA+-capable device from a national U.S. wireless carrier and the Dell™ Inspiron™ Mini 10 with T-Mobile webConnect, T-Mobile’s first netbook.
Also beginning today, T-Mobile is introducing the webConnect Rocket 2.0 USB Laptop Stick, an updated form factor of its first HSPA+-capable device. Featuring a new rotating swivel USB form factor, the webConnect Rocket 2.0 is designed to deliver the same home broadband experience on the go as its predecessor, so customers can surf the Web, download large files or watch video from a laptop anytime on-the-go with a blazing-fast connection. The webConnect Rocket 2.0 enables customers to take full advantage of T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network in areas where the service is available—delivering 4G speeds.
T-Mobile network service is currently available in the following major metropolitan areas: Albany, N.Y.; Atlanta; Austin, Texas; Baltimore; Baton Rouge, La.; Birmingham, Ala.; Buffalo, N.Y.; Charleston, S.C.; Charlotte, N.C.; Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Columbus, OH; Dallas/Ft. Worth; Dayton, Ohio; El Paso, Texas; Fayetteville, N.C.; Ft Lauderdale, Fla.; Greensboro, N.C.; Greenville, S.C.; Hartford, Conn.; Honolulu; Houston; Indianapolis; Jacksonville, Fla.; Kansas City, Mo.; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Memphis, Tenn.; Milwaukee, Wis.; Minneapolis, Minn.; New Orleans, La.; New York; Oklahoma City; Orlando, Fla.; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Portland, Ore.; Providence, R.I.; Rochester, N.Y.; San Antonio; Seattle; St. Louis, Mo; Syracuse, N.Y.; Tampa, Fla.; Tulsa, Okla.; Waco, Texas; Washington, D.C.; and Wichita, Kan. The HSPA+ network expansion is on track to reach 100 metro areas by year end. For more information, please visit http://t-mobile-coverage.t-mobile.com/coverage.