T-Mobile USA added 11 new HSPA+42 markets bringing its total HSPA+42 footprint to 163 markets and nearly 180 million POPs as it tries to keep pace with the LTE rollouts of Verizon Wireless' (NYSE:VZ) and soon AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T).
In addition to the HSPA+42 expansion, which was the first major announced expansion since July, T-Mobile also said its HSPA+21 footprint grew by nine more markets, and now covers 208 markets and 200 million POPs. The new HSPA+42 markets, where customers can experience average downlink speeds of up to 8 Mbps, include Bend, Medford and Corvallis, Ore.; Benton Harbor, Mich.; Bloomington, Champaign-Urbana and Springfield, Ill.; Columbus, Ga.; Hagerstown, Md.; Montgomery, Ala; and Yuba City, Calif. The HSPA+21 markets include Corvallis, Ore.; Decatur and Peoria, Ill.; Evansville, Ind.; Holland and Kalamazoo, Mich.; Santa Barbara, Calif; State College, Pa.; Yuba City, Calif.
T-Mobile's network expansion comes as Verizon is accelerating its LTE deployment. Verizon, which launched LTE service in December 2010, just announced 14 additional LTE markets, bringing its total coverage to 179 markets and more than 186 million POPs covered. AT&T, meanwhile, is continuing its own LTE rollout, and will launch six more LTE markets Nov. 20 including Charlotte, N.C.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Kansas City, Mo.; Las Vegas; Oklahoma City; and San Juan, Puerto Rico, bringing its total LTE footprint to 15 markets. By year-end AT&T has said will have LTE service in 15 markets covering 70 million POPs.
In the wake of T-Mobile losing out on the sweepstakes for Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone 4S, T-Mobile has been concentrating its marketing message on its HSPA+ network, which it has dubbed 4G. The carrier launched two Android smartphones last month, the HTC Amaze 4G and Samsung Galaxy S II, which can run on its HSPA+42 network, and they are among its high-profile devices for the holiday shopping season.
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