MetroPCS, one of America’s smaller mobile operators with only 6.6 million subscribers out of a potential 144 million given their coverage map, has said that they’re going to launch an LTE network during the second half of this year. At launch customers will be able to pick up the Samsung SCH-r900, the world’s first dual-mode LTE/CDMA handset. No specifications have been provided for the SCH-r900, nor has a price point been given.
Given that MetroPCS has such a small geographical footprint, it is quite conceivable that they’ll be the first mobile operator to launch LTE during 2010. They have fewer towers to upgrade, and less customers to manage, so upgrading to the latest technology shouldn’t hit their wallet as hard as it’s going to hit Verizon and AT&T.
I really wish I could give you more information, but the press release that Samsung provided has no new information. Sure, we have a model number for Samsung’s LTE device, but we already knew Samsung was going to be making an LTE device for MetroPCS since as far back as September.
We want pictures, we want specs, we want prices! Make it so.
[Photo above was taken by PC Mag during CTIA 2009.]