So with T-Mobile launching it’s HSPA+ network in select markets this month, Verizon figured it would test it’s new data technology, LTE, in a market and post some numbers.

Verizon’s LTE technology is supposed to reach peak speeds of 40-50 Mbps (compared to HSPA+’s 21Mbps). Verizon engineers are also reporting average download speeds of between 5-12Mbps (compared to T-Mobile engineers 5-6Mbps) in actual tests.

The thing to understand here though is that LTE is a 4G technology, and as such requires new hardware to be put in it’s phones to utilize any of the speed, just like WiMaxx. So even though they are testing it in one market, there still aren’t any devices that support it coming anytime soon so it is a ways off.

On the other hand, HSPA+ requires new technology in the handset to get the FULL speed increase, but unlike LTE it is based on 3G technology instead of 4G and so all current 3G handsets will benefit from the speed increase as well (just not as much as an HSPA+ enabled handset would).

So while LTE is definitely the faster technology (and I’m sure Verizon’s engineers will optimize it more and more and the average download speed will increase from this report), T-Mobile’s approach is a nice way to get some benefits sooner than later.

Of course, once Verizon gets their LTE up and running with handsets that support it, T-Mobile data speeds will be left behind. But again, we have to give it to T-Mobile for going from an EDGE only network to HSPA+ in a very short time frame. And since HSPA+ is still a 3G technology, it is very possible that they could be using it as a stepping stone to a newer technology like LTE as well; giving people faster internet now while they work on LTE, or some other 4G technology.

Hopefully T-Mobile can keep up their break neck pace of upgrading their network and possibly be working on 4G when Verizon is launching theirs. That would be tough, but so was getting from EDGE to HSPA+ as quickly as they did.

Now if T-Mobile could only increase their coverage…

Source

So T-Mobile’s HSPA+ rollout has begun. Well, it will, March 14th according to sources at TMoNews. The new HSPA+ network supports theoretical speeds of up to 21Mbps and is somewhat backwards compatible with older 3G devices (in other words your HSDPA T-Mobile G1 will not be getting the super high speeds HSPA+ offers BUT it will see a speed increase nonetheless).

The only device to support the full HSPA+ network will be launching the same day and happens to be a data stick; the webConnect Rocket. But that won’t stop people in the new select markets from running out to their nearest T-Mobile tower and see if they get any speed increase on their current phones, now will it?

The markets to get the HSPA+ upgrade on March 14th will be:

Miami
Dallas
Los Angeles
Philladelphia
Chicago

So if you are in any of these areas, leave a comment after March 14th and let us know what results your speed tests get (for Android users, goto the Market and download the SpeedTest.net SpeedTest and run it).

I happen to be in the Miami market (or close enough to it), to you know I’ll be running around with a Nexus One to see what happens

Source

The guys over at BGR seem to have gotten their hands on some pricing info from an insider at T-Mobile. Take a look

So a breakdown:

HTC HD2 – $199 on a 2 year contract and $449 without a contract
Motorola CLIQ XT – $129 on a 2 year contract and $329 without a contract

Anyone getting either device?

Source

…and it weeps profusely.

So Microsoft, in an interview with APC Magazine, says that the HTC HD2 does not have the criteria to be a Windows Phone 7 Series device. When questioned as to what that means, Natasha Kwan (General Manager for Microsoft’s Mobile Communications Business in the Asia-Pacific region) replied, “It doesn’t have the three buttons.”

The three buttons she is referring to are the Home, Back, and Search keys that are now mandatory on all Windows Phone 7 devices. The thing is, though, that the phone has Call, Home, Start, Back and End buttons, so couldn’t we just use the Start as a Search button? But there you have it, no upgrade for the HD2, well, not from Microsoft anyway…

There are two reasons I wouldn’t be too concerned here. One is that by the time Windows Phone 7 comes out, their will be much more desirable phones than the HD2 that will come with Windows Phone 7 on them. Not too mention anyone that bought an HD2 with a contract when it comes out will be ready for an early upgrade by the time Windows Phone 7 comes out and can upgrade to a newer phone.

The other reason I wouldn’t be too concerned is that as we have seen time and time again, Windows Mobile versions (6.1, 6.5, etc.) tend to make their way to phones that they “cannot work on” thanks to some developers with some time on their hands over at XDA.

So anyone getting the HD2? This effect your decision at all?

Source

So according to some sources at AndroidandMe, all US Android devices will be getting an upgrade to Android 2.1 this year. This is in contrast to what was previously thought about how older phones couldn’t handle Android 2.1 (which we’ve seen to not be true already because of custom Android 2.1 ROMs being loaded onto G1s etc.).

There is something about this though that I find odd. Android 2.1 can’t just be loaded on all of these devices as it is. The carriers have to add their own proprietary apps into the OS, manufacturers have to load their custom user interfaces on top of the OS (like Sense UI and Blur UI), etc. So I find it very unlikely that all of these manufacturers, carriers, and Google are planning to release all of these things together at the same time…

So while Android 2.1 might be on its way to US Android phones, I have a feeling that depending on your phone, it could be at very different times during the year.

Whose ready for 2.1 already?

TmoNews was sent pictures of the new Motorola mid-range Android phone, the Zeppelin. The Zeppelin is supposedly headed to T-Mobile US and has the following specs:

3.2″ HVGA Touchscreen
5.0MP Camera
GPS, BlueTooth, WiFi
Android and MotoBLUR

Seems like another CLIQ to me… when will we see some hardcore Android phones on Magenta? (Or anyone else for that matter).

Source

So apparently the issue that some Nexus One’s have been having with staying on 3G can be easily fixed.  LKontheRun discovered that if he went into Menu > Settings > Wireless & Network Settings > Mobile Networks > Network Operators > waited for it to scan > then selected Select Automatically that his phone had 3G reception where it used to have EDGE.

So while Google still hasn’t responded to any of this or come out with their own update, feel free to give this a try and let us know if it worked.

Ok so we have all been hearing some rumors about new phones coming to T-Mobile USA, but thanks to our friends over at TmoNews, we have some release dates

T-Mobile MyTouch “Slide” – May 17th
Zeppelin (Undetermined Motorola Android Phone) – March 10th
HTC HD2 – March
Columbus (Garmin Phone) – May 5th
Something From HTC (but TmoNews seems to be set that it is most likely the MyTouch 1.2, a MyTouch with 3.5m Headphone jack) – February 10th
Something from Dell – End of March

Any T-Mobile users excited?

Source

34JWEU93R24P

According to 3 Sweden (a phone company in Sweden) in a Facebook message that was in response to a question about new Android phones in the region, 3 Sweden responded with (roughly translated to English):

“Today at 3:08 pm
3 Sweden: We have just taken the decision to take on HTC Bravo (expected in March) and that basically is the same as mobile Nexus One.”

So it appears that the HTC Bravo, which is basically the Nexus One with HTC Sense UI, is coming to Sweden in March sometime.

So I know all of you are wondering if that means that T-Mobile USA, who we heard a rumor will be getting the HTC Bravo in stores, will be getting the Bravo around the same time. And the short answer is no. It doesn’t mean that they won’t but it also doesn’t mean that they will. Just remember the HTC HD2? Came out in Europe in November and T-Mobile USA is getting it in Spring 2010 (so most likely March)…

I don’t want to kill your hopes though, just don’t expect the 3 Sweden Bravo release and the T-Mobile USA Bravo (if the rumor is true at all) to be on the same day

Also another question comes up, should you even wait for the Bravo if you are on T-Mobile USA? If it is the same thing as the Nexus One, and you know that XDA Devs are already trying to get HTC Sense onto the Nexus One (and will definitely be able to get it on the Nexus One once they have a Bravo in their hands), is there any reason to wait? Let me know if you think there is, curious as to what you guys think.

Source via Endgadet

So the Sony Xperia X10 (the next snapdragon Android device) is arriving in the UK next month on February 19th. And in Sony fashion, it’s ridiculously priced; the Euro version goes for 885 USD. I’d assume the US version will be a little bit less (my guess is closer to $700-$800), but still no release date for the States.

So between the Nexus One and the X10, which would you rather go for? And then knowing that someone will, in all likelihood, rip the Timescape UI off the Sony and put it on other phones once it is released…. hmmm

BoyGeniusReport says they’ve found FCC docs of a new Motorola Device coming to the States with T-Mobile’s 3G frequencies built in. And judging by how much Motorola is focusing on Android (and how much Android is becoming their savior), I’d bet money it’s an Android device… perhaps this is the Sholes tablet we’ve heard about? Hmmm…

Source

T-Mobile finally announced what most have guessed (and hoped); the HTC HD2 is coming to T-Mobile USA. In case you forgot, here are the specs:

1ghz Snapdragon Processor

Windows Mobile 6.5

4.3 Inch Capacitive screen

HTC Sense

448Mbs of RAM

GPS, Wifi, Bluetooth

Not too shabby, eh? So chugging along with their 3G upgrades, nice new phones running on their network (N900, HD2, Nexus One), and lower plans? Bravo, T-Mobile…

Thanks Ed!

So if you are unfamiliar with T-Mobile’s plans for their data network, they came out with 3G really late in the game, but decided that they would play catch up as quickly as possible and hopefully pass the other carriers in terms of speed; going from 3.2Mbps, to 7.2Mbps, then finally to 21Mbps 3G by mid 2010.

Well, they have officially announced that they are moving along on schedule. They have just completed upgrading their entire network to 3.5G (aka HSDPA 7.2mbps) which would mean they just passed AT&T in terms of network speed (AT&T is still in the process of upgrading their entire network to 7.2Mbps). Now, granted T-Mobile has a slightly smaller network than AT&T but still it shows some initiative and shows that they are playing catch up nicely.

So 21Mbps HDPA+? Where for art thou?

Anyone notice any speed increases with their phones on T-Mobile yet?

Google unveiled the Nexus One today and called it the “Next Evolution of Android”. Here’s a quick recap of what they went over.

1. Nexus One is a close collaboration between Google and HTC
2. It is the most advanced hardware HTC has put in a device yet (Peter Chou’s words): with it’s 3.7 AMOLED touchscreen, 1GHz processor, etc.
3. Google Earth for Android has just been unveiled.

It’s not all about hardware, Nexus One has new software too:
1. All of the Droid’s apps are there
2. Android 2.1
3. 5 homescreens instead of 3
4. News and Location based Weather Widgets
5. Live/Animated Wallpapers that respond to touch
6. New launcher menu, no pulling up to open anymore
7. New Photo Album, photos float on a surface
8. Search by Voice and Voice Navigation are built in
9. Voice enabled ALL texts fields on the device, so you can talk instead of type

Purchasing the Device:
1. Simple Google Web Store for you to purchase the phone without a contract or with one from a partner.
2. You can buy the phone with T-Mobile USA today.
3. They plan to add more devices to their web store (Motorola was mentioned).
4. Adding more countries to the webstore as well.
5. The Store has a live demo of the phone that you can play with.
6. You need a Google account and a Google checkout account.

Verizon and Vodafone will jump on board with the Nexus One in Spring 2010. So you can purchase it with a contract from either of those companies then.

So the only thing that truly impresses me is the business model for the phone; selling it from Google and you can choose your carrier…

So we thought it would be available on multiple carriers at first. Then they idea died because of the spec sheet only showing T-Mobile 3G, but now according to Google it will be available on T-Mobile, Verizon and Vodafone by Spring 2010. Interesting indeed. Now the question is, if you order the phone from Google and want Verizon do they send you a CDMA version or is it a dual GSM CDMA phone? Curiouser and curiouser…

Not bad all in all, what do you guys think?

So Gizmodo got information regarding the price of the Nexus One Google phone.

Seem to be almost exactly what we thought it would be; $530 without a contract (unsubsidized in other words) and $180 with a 2 year T-Mobile contract.

Other news regarding the Nexus One:

• You MUST choose the $39.99 Even More Plan with Unlimited Text and Unlimited Data plan for $79.99/month in total (this is also mandatory for existing customers too apparently)
• You can only buy 5 Nexus One Google Phones per Google account (sounds familiar, ehem, iPhone)
• You can buy the phone when it comes out at Google.com/phone
• You agree not to ship the phone overseas when you purchase it AND if you cancel the contract on a subsidized device under 120 days you have to pay the difference of the price between no contract and contract price ($350). This is all obviously to stop black market sales just like the iPhone even still goes through to this day. And I’d say that last one sure fixes buying the phone with contract, selling it then cancelling:
  • Which if they wouldn’t have done this would have meant you could have gotten the phone for $460 without a contract: $180 (initial cost) + $80 (first months bill if they required you to pay it) + $200 (cancellation fee). Smart of Google.

So now that the price is also very typical HTC, anyone change their opinion on this phone? Still a nice phone in my opinion, just got hyped a bit too much I think, you?

Source via NexusOneBlog

So as we all pretty much knew, Google is going to be selling Nexus One directly to buyers. What we didn’t know was that it seems T-Mobile USA and HTC will be supporting the device. So if you have issues with the phone, you can call Google or HTC for help and if you have issues with service, billing, etc you can call T-Mobile USA.

Which makes me wonder, does that mean they are selling it unlocked but they are preferring you buy it on T-Mobile? This would coincide with the report about how the Nexus One has T-Mobile 3G built in and NOT AT&T 3G.

There is also a rumor that T-Mobile might be subsidizing the phone on a contract or payment plan as well.

So my question is, what is the difference between this and just letting T-Mobile sell it?

I mean the only thing I can see here would be the fact that Google would have control over updates etc and wouldn’t have to load T-Mobile proprietary software etc. Which is great and all, but I think we all expected something more…

What do you guys think? And anyone switching to T-Mobile for the Nexus One?

Source

Someone has let out the full spec sheet of the Google Nexus One:

Most of this we were already aware of but take a close look at the 3G frequencies… don’t see it?

Well it says UMTS bands 1/4/8 or in other words, Band I, Band IV, and Band VIII.
Well, Band I of UMTS is 2100mhz and Band VIII is 900mhz. These are pretty standard in any HTC device, but Band IV is the interesting one to have in there. Why? Well, Band IV is 1700mhz. And unlike the other two that have multiple carriers that use them, 1700mhz is ONLY used by one company in the world; T-Mobile USA. (Oh, and the new Wind Mobile in Canada that just launched…)

Now, who knows how this will end up but as it stands now, the Nexus One will have T-Mobile USA 3G built in and will NOT support AT&T 3G.
Wonder why? Anyone?

PS Another interesting feature I just noticed is N AND A Wireless support under WiFi on the spec sheet. They want to make sure you can access any WiFi hotspot around, eh?

Source

Apparently, over the weekend Sony got FCC approval for not only an AT&T 3G Xperia X10, but also a T-Mobile 3G Xperia X10.

So this means those of us in the States can choose between T-Mobile or AT&T when we buy the phone without a contract from Sony directly.

This is a first for us here in the US! This would be the first time any phone manufacturer made an AT&T AND a T-Mobile version of an unlocked device.

Still not sure why they don’t just put both into one phone though (save themselves from having to make two separate models)… anyone understand enough about manufacturing to elaborate?

Source and Source

T-Mobile is sure playing a good game of catch up when it comes to 3G. They may have been the last major carrier to launch their 3G network but they are planning to blow by the others pretty soon.

To put things into perspective, AT&T just launched their new 7.2Mbps 3G in 6 cities with plans to finish the 7.2Mbps upgrade to 21 different markets by the end of 2010.

Sprint is working on their 20Mbps 4G Wimax network, and has launched it in a few cities and is planning to have Wimax launched in more markets by the end of 2010.

T-Mobile claims that they will have 7.2Mbps IN MOST MARKETS close to the the of 2009 (not 2010) and that they will have their 21Mbps 3G network (backwards compatible, so all 3G devices will see some form of speed increase from this, no new handset required like with WiMax) rolled out to most markets by mid 2010!

Now all of this would just be talk if it weren’t for a 21Mbps testing area ALREADY up and running in Philadelphia.

Kevin over at Jkontherun.com has had the pleasure to test this new fledgling 21Mbps 3G network on a few current devices and was kind enough to post screen shots of their speed tests.

In a nutshell, Kevin got the following download speeds:

• Control: From his work outside the 21Mbps test zone, he got 1.1Mbps down.
• On the same USB stick (capable of handling up to 7.2Mbps) from the first test he got 5.5Mbps down in the new HSPA+ test area!
• On an N900 (which is capable of handling 10Mbps) he got a crazy 7Mbps down!

Check out his page for details.

Source

So after all the speculations and rumors, T-Mobile finally officially reveals their plans for Project Dark.

So T-Mobile breaks down the Project Dark Even More Plans into the following:

• You choose annual contract or no contract
• If you do no contract, you get to do an interest free payment plan for the retail cost of the phone
• Great new phones coming out soon
• Best pricing on 3G data
• New affordable unlimited plans

So lets break the plans down further, shall we?

Basically, there are two plan categories. There is Even More and Even More Plus. The plans for both are pretty much the same, but the Even More Plus plans are slightly cheaper and are the No Contract plans (so no discount on the phone, instead you can do a 20 month interest free payment plan, but we’ll discuss that later).

The plans go as follows:

So you may be wondering why there is a price difference in the contracted (Even More) and the no contracted (Even More Plus) plans? Well, I’ll explain.

Keep in mind that the Even More Plus plans have no contract and no subsidizing on the phone price. Now, you can do a payment plan and get a $500 phone for $25/month added to your bill over 20 months. So if you add that to your price plan you’ll see that the prices are much more similar than you think.

Now why are the prices the way they are? Well, normally when you get a phone with a contract, the phone company subsidizes the price of the phone for you under the assumption that over the 24 month contract they will profit enough to pay for the discount they gave you. So, since they know they are not subsidizing any cost on the no contract plans and therefore don’t need to make it back in your plan, they took the high road (for once) and decided to lower the no contract plans accordingly. Make sense?

So the next step I would like to see is 2100mhz being added to their spectrum (and that enabling the euro 3G possibly, fingers crossed), and then a plan for me to get a cash loan from T-Mobile added to my Even More Plus plan so I can use that cash to go buy a Euro Unlocked phone instead Wishful thinking…

Source

So someone who was lucky enough to get a N900 from 2009 Maemo Summit in Amsterdam came back to the States with it and decided to do a little speed test to see how the 1700mhz T-Mobile 3G frequency is used on the little bugger.

Here were his results:

So 2260 kbps down and 340kbps up. That’s pretty damn quick (especially considering T-Mobile’s current 3G data cap is only 3200 mbps, that means that it is getting really close to that cap).

To put that in perspective, iPhone 3GS which can use AT&T’s new 7200 kbps 3G data, only gets to about 1000kbps (in tests I’ve done here in South Florida, perhaps yours vary, regardless I doubt your getting over 2260 kbps…) and I used a Sprint Hero in one of their stores yesterday and did a speed test and only got 700 kbps down.

Wow… this thing needs to be released already. You can bet I will be doing some serious testing of this phone soon as I can get my hands on one. If anyone finds a store that actually has them in stock (instead of telling us, “It come this week, promise I do”), let me know and I’ll get to work

PS. Know what else is kinda cool? That screen shot is from the actual phone. Its cool that the phone can goto a flash intensive site like speedtest.net and run it perfectly like a computer.  Try that on your iPhone browser…

THANKS JOSH!

That is the new rumor. Apparently, an HTC Device with a Snapdragon 1GHz processor that looks an awful lot like the HTC Touch HD2 has shown up on some promotional material (seen above).

Now there is no mention of Windows Mobile on the sheet so technically this could also be the HTC Dragon (Android HD2) that has been rumored as well to come out soon. But I think considering that HTC even said that the HD2 will be coming to the US in early 2010 that this fits in as what they could be referring to.

Windows Mobile Users Rejoice!

On a sidenote… Bunch of Android devices, N900, HD2 all rumored to end up on TMo USA, I think TMobile might be coming out of this “we only carry crappy phones” phase they’ve been in. Think it has something to do with their new CEO and/or the new 3G HSPA+?

So if you haven’t heard there was a huge disaster in the Sidekick world this last week. Danger/Microsoft’s Sidekick servers went down. These servers hold all Sidekick users information, email, contacts, etc. so if they go down, those things disappear off of your phone. Well, the real issue is that Microsoft reported that they might be able to get information back but “it’s not looking good” and some users may not get their info back at all.

Needless to say, Sidekick users everywhere got really pissed and I’m sure T-Mobile got flooded with “I’m going to switch to AT&T etc.” phone calls.

Well, according to one Sidekick user, T-Mobile is repenting in a big way. Here is a list of the things they did for her since all her data was lost:

• $15 off her current month’s bill
• Next month’s entire bill is paid for
• $100 gift card in the mail after 14 days
• Option to upgrade to G1 or MyTouch 3G for the full discount price on T-Mobile.com

Way to repent T-Mobile (and Danger who is actually the one responsible even though T-Mobile is probably getting the brunt of the complaints and backlash)… So Sidekick users, get an Android. You’ll be happier anyway

Thanks Mariela!

So along with the news of the N900 maybe hitting T-Mobile USA in early 2010, we have another rumor about a revamping of their plans as well.

Supposedly there is word that T-Mobile might be releasing a $50 unlimited everything plan. That includes, voice, texting, MMS, AND DATA. Nice, especially for us “power users” that NEED data and texting

Now the only plans close to that are Sprint’s unlimited everything for $100/month (and their $80/month unlimited everything with calls to cell phones only, but that wouldn’t be comparing Apples to Apples would it?) which is TWICE the price of the rumored new plan or MetroPCS’s Unlimited Plan for $50. For those of you who don’t know what MetroPCS is, they are a phone company that gives unlimited calling to anyone in the nation, plus texting and EDGE data (no 3G yet that I am aware off) for $50ish/month. But the catch with them is that you have to be in certain areas or your phone doesn’t work, very limited coverage.

This plan would even give them a run for their money. This plan AND 21Mbps 3G without any new technology needed (unlike WiMaxx and LTE) sounds like a winner. Then there is that rumor about T-Mobile maybe buying Sprint… That new Deutsche Telekom CEO is sure getting busy with overhauling T-Mobile USA

New rumor that Nokia’s new flagship phone, the N900, will be getting picked up by T-Mobile USA in “early 2010″. I personally love that phone and am waiting it’s official unlocked release (supposed to be today but looks like it will be the 26th or later this month, sigh).

Now, the phone in it’s unlocked form, already has T-Mobile’s 3G frequencies built in so there would be no benefit to wait for the T-Mobile version (except the slightly lower price since T-Mobile bought 30,000 from Nokia and got a great deal on them to say the least).

So you can wait if you want, but soon as that bad boy is on any internet site (not for preorder lol) I’m grabbing it. What can I say, when it comes to new toys, I’m not waiting another 3 months or more just to get the exact same phone with T-Mobile logos and proprietary software on it…

HTC has announced the a “US Carrier” is picking up the Touch HD2 (Leo) in early 2010. In the meantime, you could always buy the European Version and just not have 3G.. as with any GSM phone.

Sadly I can already assume that by the time the HD2 “comes to the States” there will be a new, better HTC phone to drool over.

Why can’t they just put Pentaband 3G in all of their phones and let us by them directly??

That’s right, T-Mobile has come out with a successor to the Samsung Behold, but want to know the best new feature? They replaced the OS with Android lol So this now makes the 3rd T-Mobile Android device to be announced. The specs are not much different to the MyTouch except a nicer screen (3.2 AMOLED Capacitive screen), and a nice camera (5.0MP with flash).

I know what all the current Android users are wondering; How much RAM? and Can it run Hero better than my MyTouch/G1?
Well, no word on RAM yet, but this is supposed to be the US version of the Samsung Galaxy and if that is the case you won’t be happy. The Galaxy only has 128MBs of RAM (so LESS than the MyTouch/G1 who have 192Mbs and WAY LESS than the Hero), sorry guys.
But besides the Hero UI being hacked onto it, it does come with it’s own proprietary UI from Samsung; TouchWiz. This is the UI that the old Behold has with the sidebar you can drag widgets to and from and also a cube for selecting multimedia. Not a bad alternative to the MyTouch for some…

So much for a predicted 2010 rollout of their HSPA+ 21 Mb/s 3G service. Those in Philadelphia are already getting the ridiculous 3G speed!
Now, one can assume that T-Mobile is still expecting a 2010 rollout and that this is just a premature test of concept to see if it will work before they start full on trying to roll this bad boy out. But still exciting news for T-Mobile users.
The other good news about this is that it is supposedly backwards compatible! That means no new hardware to get the faster speeds. It will work on any phone that currently supports T-Mobile’s 3G frequency (1700mhz).

Now, I’m not in Philly so can’t test this myself, but are any of our readers out there with a 3G enabled phone? Notice a difference? Try a mobile speed test site and tell use what speeds your getting (it won’t be 21Mbs but it should still be pretty damn good).

Ok so a few of our readers (thanks guys!) mentioned a possible T-Mobile purchase of Sprint here in the US and it got me extremely curious, so of course I did some snooping.

The new CEO of Deutsche Telekom of Germany (the owner of all the T-Mobile’s worldwide, including our T-Mobile USA), Rene Obermann apparently is very serious about revamping T-Mobile.

First he tackled T-Mobile UK, which was the third largest wireless carrier in the UK until Mr. Obermann put together a a joint venture between T-Mobile UK and Orange. After the merger T-Mobile is now the largest wireless carrier in the UK, well ahead of the former 1st and 2nd place wireless providers, O2 and Vodafone.

After that, he now seems to be aiming at T-Mobile US, which is the 4th largest wireless carrier in the US at the moment. He plans to merge T-Mobile US with the 3rd largest wireless carrier, Sprint. This merger would put T-Mobile US neck and neck with the 2 largest US carriers, Verizon and AT&T.

Now that is all fine and dandy, but I have a big question. How do you take a CDMA network and a GSM network and merge them? I would assume the company would have to go one way or the other (and in all likely hood and to my approval, it would most likely go GSM). If that is the case though, what would they do with Sprint’s current infrastructure? Would they just put their own transmitters on Sprint’s existing towers perhaps? I would assume they might do that and then there has to be someway they can integrate Sprint’s much more advanced data network (4G PLEASE!). With 4G coming around the corner for Sprint in the form of WiMax, perhaps T-Mobile will simply start using WiMax 4G with their existing GPRS/EDGE network. Truthfully that seems to me to be the best option and phone manufacturer’s will begin to comply by adding WiMax into their phones anyway (since a good percentage of the world is heading that way, with the other majority heading to LTE for their 4G network).

So T-Mobile with Sprint’s 4G, a HUGE coverage map, and cheaper monthly rates than AT&T and Verizon? Sounds like a success to me.

What do you guys think? And any of you guys with more technical knowledge have any idea of how this merger could work?

Despite T-Mobile being the last one to the 3G party, they are claiming that they are going full steam ahead!

T-Mobile says they will be upgrading their data network software as soon as the nationwide 3G rollout is complete later this year. This will immediately double their network speeds.
Then after that they plan to move to HSPA 7.2 standards to reach theoretical download speeds of up to 7.2Mb/s (similar to AT&T’s current plans to boost their network from 3.6Mb/s to 7.2Mbs as we speak). So even though T-Mobile started much later than AT&T, if this happens they sure would have caught up fast.

But wait, there’s more… not only does T-Mobile plan to reach the 7.2 mark by the end of this year (within 3 months that means, mind you!), but they plan to begin to blow that out of the water sometime next year with the deployment of HSPA+. If they get that up and running you are looking at theoretical download speeds of up to 21Mb/s!

Along with the speed boost, they also plan to increase coverage by adding 100 more cities and increasing the people under their 3G umbrella from 121 million right now, to 200 million all by the end of this year.

All I have to say is, way to play catch up…

UPDATE: Apparently in Philidelphia the 21Mbs/sec speed is already operational! Anyone out there able to confirm this?