T-Mobile USA's Entire 3G Network Now Runs at 7.2 Mbps

T-Mobile USA announced today that it has fulfilled a promise it made last year: it's entire 3G network is now running at 7.2 Mbps, significantly increasing the speed at which users can transfer data.

This carrier was a bit slow to get on the 3G bandwagon,and was well behind its competitors in wireless data speeds. In the last year or so it has made significant strides to deal with this problem.

Most of T-Mobile's customers with a smartphone are able to take advantage of this speed increase. All of its Android-based models already support HSPA 7.2  This includes the T-Mobile G1 and myTouch 3G, plus the Motorola Cliq and Samsung Behold II. Two recent Windows Mobile devices do too: the HTC Touch Pro2 and Dash 3G.

T-Mobile has the smallest coverage area of any of the big four wireless carriers, but it has been working on this issue, too. At this point, its 3G service is available for 200 million Americans.

Looking Ahead
T-Mobile has already begun testing HSPA+ service, and intends to have this running in markets across the U.S. later this year. This will give users 21 Mbps access, considerably faster than most of its competitors' mobile broadband. T-Mobile already has this service up and running Philadelphia.

This carrier also promised that some of its current devices will be able to take advantage of HSPA+, and it will announce a new model this week that can do so, as well.

T-Mobile doesn't plan to stop there -- it's already planning the move to the 4G service LTE. However, it hasn't committed to a timetable on this.

Source: T-Mobile