T-Mobile USA Expected to Launch 3G Services Tomorrow

Multiple news reports are claiming that T-Mobile is planning to switch on its WCDMA network in New York tomorrow (May 1st) - followed by around 26 other cities by the end of this year. T-Mobile owns a large block of 1700 Mhz spectrum, but has been hampered by delays by the regulator in releasing the spectrum for the company to use.

Supporting the reports is a statement issued a few weeks ago by T-Mobile USA spokesman Peter Dobrow, which confirmed that the company would launch its 3G network "this spring" in New York - with a roll-out to "other major metropolitan areas" during the rest of this year.

The company is expected to launch with four handsets which can work on the 1700Mhz spectrum band - and in doing so should free up capacity in T-Mobile's existing 1900Mhz bands. The launch city, New York is known to be suffering from sporadic congestion problems so migrating heavy users to the 3G service would held resolve that problem as well.

The company was widely expected to launch its network last December, but it is presumed that the problems with clearing the radio spectrum by federal agencies caused that delay.

T-Mobile paid US$4.18 billion in auctions for its tranche of 1700Mhz radio spectrum covering 120 regions.

The other cities which should get 3G coverage by the end of the year are Atlanta, Austin, Birmingham, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Memphis, Miami, Minneapolis, New England, NJ and Long Island, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa and Washington, D.C.

Posted to the site on 30th April 2008