T-Mobile U.S will have 10 LTE devices and its 4G network will be compatible with a future T-Mo-branded iPhone by the end of 2013, chief technology officer Neville Ray said at the carrier’s Challenger Strategy conference call.
T-Mobile’s CTO said the carrier will cover 50 major markets with its upcoming LTE network and detailed plans about managing spectrum to best serve the needs of more intensive data networks.
“Our 4G network will be compatible with a broader range of devices,including the iPhone” Ray said. Now, this is a clear reference to a 4G iPhone, unless Ray considers the current HSPA+ compliant iPhone as 4G, something Apple has never done. It seems though that T-Mobile's CTO is referring to the roll-out of HSPA+ 3G and 4G services in the 1900MHz range, which the iPhone is compliant with. This is a huge $4 billion investment by the fourth-largest US mobile operator.
The big problem with the iPhone on T-Mobile is the awkward AWS bands that the carrier’s 3G runs on. The iPhone currently doesn’t support them and remains limited to slow EDGE data transfers.
Theoretically, T-Mobile’s LTE network will deliver up to 72Mbps, but we expect the realities to match those of the current LTE networks. That would mean download speeds of between 5Mbpas and 12Mbps.
“Our 4G network will be compatible with a broader range of devices, including the iPhone” Ray said, though did not clarify whether it was the current HSPA+ iPhone 4S he was referring to, or the much-speculated iPhone 5 with LTE support. Still, it seems likely that the reference was to T-Mobile USA shifting to offer HSPA+ on the 1900MHz band, increasing compatibility with HSPA+ devices used on AT&T’s network.
According to Ray, T-Mobile USA’s LTE on the 10MHz spectrum will support up to 72Mbps, at least theoretically. The carrier is also pushing the envelope in base station design, using antennas that are integrated with radios in their towers. As well as leaving room for LTE, the shifting use of spectrum will mean that 1900MHz HSPA+ will jump in power by around 16-percent.
Whether T-Mobile will be able to sufficiently court Apple with the promise of HSPA+ compatibility remains to be seen. At present, unlocked iPhones deliver a mere EDGE experience on the carrier’s network, and T-Mobile blamed defections for the iPhone 4S in Q4 2011 for its underwhelming financial results.
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