Earlier today I was having some hardware issues with my 9700 so I decided to call T-Mobiles tech support. We got my problem situated, so I’ll be expecting a replament phone arriving sometime this week. Anyways, The rep and I were rapping back forth about devices and what not, and he explained to me that the software they use for HSPA+ is allowing them to activate 4G on their existing 3G BlackBerry models. He didn’t say when, but he did say its in testing. He told me there are demo videos comparing 4G and 3G, and according to him, the load time for pages is just a few seconds.
T-Mobile states that they have “America’s Largest 4G network.” They have listed the following reasons why they can make that claim. Unfortunately, the debate goes on as to what is actually 4G and that argument is further complex by air interfaces — HSPA+, WiMAX, LTE and LTE Advanced. In English? Really fast mobile broadband
- T-Mobile’s network offers theoretical peak throughput speeds of 21Mbps — three times the theoretical speeds of today’s 3G (HSPA 7.2).
- T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network is the largest 4G network in the U.S. today — reaching 75 major metropolitan areas across the U.S. (with Fiber Ethernet backhaul in place).
- Customers can choose from a variety of devices that run on our 4G network including the T-Mobile G2 with Google, T-Mobile myTouch 4G and the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 4G, as well as broadband products such as the webConnect Rocket 2.0 Laptop Stick.
- Next year, T-Mobile is planning to upgrade the network to support even faster 4G speeds (theoretical peak speeds of 42 Mbps) without the need for additional nationwide spectrum acquisitions. This upgrade is expected to double the average and peak data rates available to customers with suitably equipped devices.
T-Mobile’s network is one if the best kept secrets in the industry. We are doing things a little different from our competitors. HSPA+ is a vibrant ecosystem that currently enjoys the support of one hundred operators. These operators are committed to HSPA+. Thanks to that level of support T-Mobile is looking at multiple smartphone and tablet offerings. — Chris Hillabrant, Regional VP of Engineering at T-Mobile
So all we can do as customers is sit back, and wait to see how long it is going to take T-Mobile to expand their “4G” in your city or area of coverage. As a BlackBerry user, we also have to wait until they deploy the service to our beloved devices. So be prepared to get your moneys worth, and enjoy very fast internet on your device. Head here to the official T-Mo site to learn more about their 4G, and see which cities across the US are equipped with this already.