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T-Mobile: our LTE rollout plans are progressing smoothly

Categories: T-Mobile
By: , IntoMobile
Thursday, June 14th, 2012 at 9:46 PM
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Earlier this year, T-Mobile confirmed that it’s spending $4 billion to upgrade 37,000 cell sites and install LTE release 10 capable equipment to form the backbone of its 4G network. Now, Dave Mayo, senior vice president of technology at T-Mobile, provides details on T-Mobile’s updated LTE rollout schedule.

Mayo confirms the carrier expects to start small by installing new equipment at 400 GSM / HSPA+ sites by the end of June. Next month, though, T-Mobile will pick up the pace and upgrade 2,500 cell sites by the end of July. Mayo also noted T-Mobile has bridged the regulatory hurdles to start work on an additional 19,400 sites. All this activity will lead up to a projected LTE launch sometime in 2013.

Besides updating equipment, the carrier is also ramping up small scale tests on its 1900MHz spectrum. Normally reserved for its 2G service, the spectrum is being repurposed for 4G HSPA+  that’s compatible with GSM handsets like the iPhone. T-Mobile recently launched this service at Moscone West conference center in San Francisco. The timing coincided with Apple’s WWDC developers conference this week.

[Via T-Mobile]

About The Author

Kelly Hodgkins

Kelly spent the last four years covering mobile technology at places like BGR, Gizmodo and The Unofficial Apple Weblog. Before writing, she spent a few years working with and teaching others how to use Adobe Flash and Macromedia Director. Even earlier than that, she spent several years as a Ph.D student in Microbiology. When she's not writing, she can be found fishing the lakes and hiking the mountains of Western Maine with her husband and tribe of children. You can follow her on Twitter @kellyhodgkins.

  • Anonymous

    As a T-Mobile subscriber with an SGS2, I am pleased to hear of an LTE rollout. 

    How long are most handsets kept for?

    Now would be a good time for T-Mobile to begin ensuring that handsets sold now are LTE compatible and not just HSPA+ compatible.

    On the flip side, now would be a good time in the name of competition, for the FTC to demand that US carriers use chips etc that ensures future LTE phones from any carrier will work on Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile.

    It’s not a free market if the barriers to switching are a $350 early exit fee from one carrier plus another $200 fee to join the next carrier’s network.

    • Jarrod

      Part of the issue is that we get our devices subsidized so after the two years some carriers don’t feel obligated to unlock the device so they can make more revenue off of the device. Also it doesn’t help that we use so many technologies that are incompatible with each other.

  • http://www.fujifilmfinepixs2950.co.uk/ Lucas

    Many will be happy to hear it, I am sure, I am one of them

  • Anonymous

    With myself DUMPING VERIZON in the next 11days to become a Tmobile customer this makes me happy. On June 27th I will purchase my Galaxy S3 which will be one line of service. Then wait for the NEXT NEXUS in November with jellybean then will add that as my second line. After what Verizon has done with the Gnex andandandandandandandandandanda