T-Mobile USA to boost 3G network speeds to 21 Mbps

T-Mobile USA plans to increase the potential peak speeds of its 3G network significantly over the next year, serving notice that while it did not deploy 3G as early as fellow GSM carrier AT&T Mobility, the operator is moving full steam ahead with its network improvements.

T-Mobile CTO Cole Brodman said that the carrier would begin deploying HSPA 7.2--which provides theoretical downlink speeds of 7.2 Mbps--by year-end. Additionally, he said he expects T-Mobile to begin deploying HSPA+ with theoretical downlink speeds of 21 Mbps sometime in 2010.

In addition to speeds, T-Mobile hopes to boost coverage. In August, T-Mobile said that about 176 cities and 121 million people are covered by its 3G network. The company has said it expects to cover 200 million pops by year-end, adding an additional 100 cities to its coverage.

Last week, AT&T said that it would begin rolling out its own HSPA 7.2 upgrade in six cities. By the end of 2010, AT&T said it expects to offer HSPA 7.2 in 25 of the country's 30 largest markets, and that the upgrade will be in place in 90 percent of its 3G footprint by the end of 2011.

In other upgrade news, Rogers Wireless announced the commercial availability of its HSPA+ network in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, which the carrier said clocks in at maximum speeds of 21 Mbps.

For more:
- see this Rogers release [1]
- see this Electronista post [2]

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AT&T starting HSPA upgrade in six cities [5]
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