The ongoing US embracement of third-generation (3G) wireless mobile networks continues this week with carrier T-Mobile USA officially announcing that it is now running 3G coverage in New York City.
T-Mobile USA unveils 3G wireless network in NYC. Image: T-Mobile/Deutsche Telekom.
However, while the arrival of 3G is certainly an upturn in terms of versatility, it would appear that most T-Mobile users will have to wait a little longer to access the superior data speeds delivered by 3G technology -- not least because Deutsche Telekom-owned T-Mobile USA doesn’t currently have any fully 3G-compatible handsets within its product portfolio.
Indeed, news of 3G network access in New York City is initially only likely to pique the interest of those mobile phone users already equipped with the Nokia 3555 or Nokia 6263, and the Samsung t819 or Samsung t639, which are able to access the network via UMTS.
Specifically, handset access will enable UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) data performance speeds of up to 384Kbps, which is somewhat of a drop when compared to the network’s not-yet-supported HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) speeds of around 1Mbps.
T-Mobile has said that it plans to bring 3G to other major US cities and introduce a selection of fully compatible handsets into the market “in the coming months” in order for customers to take full advantage of the network’s wireless broadband performance, which delivers improvements such as enhanced Web browsing and data downloads.
The carrier’s BlackBerry fans looking to jump onto the new 3G network will also have to exercise a degree of patience according to Neville R. Ray, senior VP for engineering and operations at T-Mobile USA. 3G-capable BlackBerry models will probably not be made available via T-Mobile until early in 2009, commented Mr. Ray in an NYT report.
T-Mobile USA’s shift to the advantages of 3G has been somewhat slow compared to rival carriers such as AT&T in light of the company previously having access to less spectrum and, in turn, focusing its cellular data services more toward Wi-Fi hotspots.
Despite the introduction of 3G, T-Mobile USA has said that it intends to continue expanding its network of almost 9,000 Wi-Fi hotspots across the United States.
There are currently no comments for this article. Be the first to comment!
Advertising
There are currently no comments for this article. Be the first to comment!