PhoneArena is looking for new authors! To view all available positions, click here.

Phone Links

more » more »
  • Home
  • ›
  • News
  • ›
  • T-Mobile says its LTE network is testing now, will launch next year

T-Mobile says its LTE network is testing now, will launch next year

Posted: , by Michael H.

Categories:

Share:

Discuss 8
T-Mobile says its LTE network is testing now, will launch next year
T-Mobile finally has a strategy to move to LTE and the details of that work are starting to come out. T-Mobile has announced how it will begin building its LTE network, when the testing will begin, and what to expect as we move towards the planned 2013 launch. So far, it seems as though T-Mobile is getting a start, but it certainly has a long way to go. 

The official announcement starts by pointing to the deal we heard about last month with Ericsson and the Nokia Siemens Network, which will help T-Mobile build out its LTE network. The agreement will help T-Mobile modernize (aka add the 1900MHz spectrum to) 37,000 GSM/HSPA+ cell sites as well. This makes for a good start, until T-Mobile gets into the details a bit later. 

Apparently, the company has only "modernized" 400 GSM/HSPA+ cell sites so far (likely these are mostly sites around the Moscone Center in San Fran, so unlocked iPhones would get 3G on T-Mo at WWDC.) Still, T-Mo is working fast and expects to have 2,500 sites by the end of July. Additionally, 19,500 sites have had zoning permits secured, but only about 4,000 have actual building permits. So, there's a lot of work left to do. 

Trials of the new LTE network have already begun, although T-Mo will begin more trials this summer using Release-10 equipment, which is the standard of LTE Advanced. LTE Advanced is both backwards compatible with LTE and also has a theoretical top speed (1.2Gbps) about 4 times faster than LTE (326Mbps). That bodes well for the network, which is still slated for launch in 2013. 

source: T-Mobile

Share:

Discuss8

8 Comments

  • Options
    Close




Want to comment? Please login or register.

1. tward291 posted on 14 Jun 2012, 17:53 2 1

Nice give me a Nokia lte windows8 phone and I'll be gravy

Reply

2. shamataa posted on 14 Jun 2012, 18:16 5

Thats way too late.

Reply

3. bigdawg23 posted on 14 Jun 2012, 18:46 11 1

Its not too late. People forget companies like AT&T and T-Mo didn't need LTE with GSM/HSPA/HSPA+ as fast. Verizon had to because of the EV-DO Rev A limitations. Most customers on AT&T and T-Mo see great speeds and find LTE unnecessary. People with both 21Mbps and 42Mbps phones get download speeds near LTE, however LTE is much faster on upload.

Reply

4. jsavage321 posted on 14 Jun 2012, 19:06 2

finally

Reply

5. rockstarlive posted on 14 Jun 2012, 19:31 1

At least its something...but it is going to take time.

Reply

6. lubba posted on 14 Jun 2012, 21:44 2 2

Get the f**king good phones. Don't give a s**t about your LTE

Reply

7. Nickmfnjackson posted on 14 Jun 2012, 22:19 2

I could care less for lte when I get +30mbs with hspa+, but if it's good for tmo, then get that b**** up and running!

Reply

8. mdemars11 posted on 17 Oct 2012, 14:03

People also forget that while they are the last to start an LTE network, they will be the first with LTE release 10 or LTE advanced. They will have a theoretical speed of 1.3 Gbps compared with everyone else with 326 Mbps. Sometimes waiting has its advantages.

Reply

Want to comment? Please login or register.

Hot Phones

  • Samsung Galaxy S4Samsung Galaxy S4
  • Apple iPhone 5Apple iPhone 5
  • Samsung GALAXY Note IISamsung GALAXY Note II
  • HTC OneHTC One
  • Sony Xperia ZSony Xperia Z
  • Google Nexus 4Google Nexus 4
  • LG Optimus GLG Optimus G
  • Nokia Lumia 920Nokia Lumia 920