T-Mobile is the fourth largest mobile operator in the United States. The company has been busy over the past year rolling out their next generation network -- HSPA+. Magenta has rolled out HSPA+ in over 60 markets and is on track to hit 100 markets by the end of the calendar year. HSPA+ is an acronym for High Speed Packet Access and boasts download speeds of up to 21Mbp/s -- in theory. T-Mobile subscribers who have 3G capable devices will also experience improved performance when on the HSPA+ network -- explains Neville Ray -- Chief Network Officer for T-Mobile USA.
Real world speeds will be slightly more conservative than the theoretical 21Mbp/s. Kevin C. Tofel (editor of jkOnTheRun) tested T-Mobile's webConnect Rocket USB Laptop Stick (HSPA+ native). The results were impressive -- 9.11 Mbp/s download and 2.73 Mbp/s upload. The assumption stands that we will see similar speeds on the T-Mobile G2.
T-Mobile recently announced their very first HSPA+ superphone in the U.S. -- the G2 (AKA HTC Vanguard). The release date is rumored to be September 29th. Some sources also reveal that consumers may be able to pre-order the G2 on September 1st. T-Mobile has been stingy with the details -- perhaps taking a few pages from The Book of Steve Jobs -- let the storm of rumors create the viral campaign.
What is know so far is this -- both our friends at Engagdet and the Android Police report rumors of the MSM7x30 chipset. The chipset boasts these attributes:
From an infrastructure perspective -- it's clear that our current 3G infrastructure is simply buckling under the crushing weight of data consumption. Evidence of this fact can been seen by AT&T's difficulty in supporting the iPhone in certain markets and the fight for more spectrum.
From a handset perspective -- we are currently in the midst of a mobile renaissance; fractured as it maybe. We are seeing massive movement on multiple fronts -- massive content availability, superphones, the mobile Internet and mobile payment systems.
All of these extra added services not only require a more robust handset but a more robust network. At the moment -- T-Mobile has the advantage with being in over 60 markets and with the impending release of the G2. My hopes are that T-Mobile also release a handful of broadband applications at launch. This should lend itself proof positive -- that T-Mobile's HSPA+ network and superphone are ready to take on the mobile data monsoon.
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