T-Mobile CEO hints at summer launch for 3G, Android handset in Q4

It's bordering on preposterous how long we've been teased about 3G connectivity from T-Mobile, but apparently, the madness will end this summer. According to CNET, company CEO Hamid Akhavan made mention at Mobile World Congress that T-Mobile would be rolling out 3G sometime during the warmest months of 2008 here in the US of A, but unfortunately, no concrete date was dished out. What he did say, however, was that it would prove to be the "best 3G network" in the nation, so yeah, there's that. As if that weren't enough to get T-Mob subscribers in a celebratory mood, the bigwig also hinted that a Google Android device would be unveiled on its network during Q4 of this year, but we're left to wonder exactly what regions will see it.

[Via The Boy Genius Report, image courtesy of Flickr]

[Paul @ Feb 12th 2008 1:41PM]

T-Mobile is the best carrier in the US of A and now that 3G and Microsoft has acquired its signature device the best is yet to come

[Darnell @ Feb 12th 2008 1:40PM]

Throw in some beefier smartphones and I just may stay.

[fahnboi @ Feb 12th 2008 1:41PM]

oops! maybe i shouldn't have just locked myself to ATT for another 2 yrs...

[Andrew @ Feb 12th 2008 2:54PM]

I could be wrong but doesn't T-Mobile piggyback on ATTs GSM network here in the US?

I thought I ready somewhere that ATT and T-Mobile share towers so that they can provide better coverage?

[Matt @ Feb 12th 2008 4:07PM]

Andrew,

They roam on each other's network for plain GSM / DATA services only. at&t's 3G operates on a different frequency (1900 Mhz) and T-Mobile wil be launching its 3G on 1700 Mhz band so they will not be compatible. Maybe down the road they will decide to deploy 3G on their GSM 850Mhz bands and only then they would be able share the networks. In my opinion it was a DUMB idea on T-Mobile's part to go with a frequency that NOBODY in the world is using yet. Had they picked 1900, we (t-mobilers) would be riding 3G by now (possibly by some roaming agreement with at&t).

[Gremlin @ Feb 12th 2008 1:45PM]

hsdpa? hsupa? what cities first?

[Tehseen @ Feb 12th 2008 6:34PM]

New York is first.. inside information from ericsson

[John F. @ Mar 10th 2008 10:11AM]

Well, if the CEO says "best 3G network", and AT&T already has HSUPA, it would follow that T-Mobile's network is also HSUPA. Unless he's exaggerating. And surely he wouldn't do that, would he? ;-)

[bob cobb @ Feb 12th 2008 1:46PM]

People trash sprint but they have had 3g all over this country for years now. Now tmobile is finally getting it and noone is trashing them for taking so long? I guess if sprint had customer service like tmobile they would be a much better carrier.

[Izzy @ Feb 12th 2008 2:06PM]

There has been a lot of laughter at T-Mobile's "lack of desire" to get a 3G system going. Sprint may have a countrywide 3G network, but due to their poor customer service and now huge layoffs, they are becoming less relevant. This is proven through their churn over the past year.

[danny @ Feb 12th 2008 1:47PM]

Awesomeness. I use T-mobile and love it. With 3g and an Android-based phone (I'm a huge android fan already) I don't even know what I'd do. And the fact that prices will probably stay exactly where they are just adds to it all.

-D
http://www.androidboards.com

[b33eazy @ Feb 12th 2008 2:05PM]

okay I will be getting the iphone 2 with 3g could it work on t-mobile after I unlock it?

[Yankees368 @ Feb 12th 2008 2:13PM]

Seeing as that the iPhone is for ATT only, and ATT does not have 1700Mhz spectrum, the "iPhone 2" will not work on the T-Mobile 3g network.

[fahnboi @ Feb 12th 2008 2:35PM]

did you miss where he said "after I unlock it?"?

[xnifex @ Feb 12th 2008 2:45PM]

it doesn't matter if he unlocks it or not, T-Mobile's 3G is on the 1700Mhz spectrum and not on the 1900Mhz spectrum like AT&T. Unless Apple decides to throw in that extra band, it won't work for 3G, just EDGE.

[bachviet @ Feb 12th 2008 2:47PM]

First there is no 3G iPhones out there. Second if there is a 3G iPhones, it will be either with AT&T WCDMA 850/1900 or Europe/Asia WCDMA 2100 so it won't work on T-Mobile US 3G (AWS 1700/2100). If T-Mobile 3G is available at the same time the SE Xperia X1 or Android smartphone is released by T-Mobile, I will extend my contract.

[bachviet @ Feb 12th 2008 2:48PM]

First there is no 3G iPhones out there. Second if there is a 3G iPhones, it will be either with AT&T WCDMA 850/1900 or Europe/Asia WCDMA 2100 so it won't work on T-Mobile US 3G (AWS 1700/2100). If T-Mobile 3G is available at the same time the SE Xperia X1 or Android smartphone is released by T-Mobile, I will extend my contract.

[Yankees368 @ Feb 12th 2008 1:55PM]

Well I can pretty much tell you that the NYC metro area will be the first to go online. All their sites in and around NYC, including Long Island have had extra antennas added over the past few months to handle 3G. They could probably flip the switch today if they wanted to.

[Yankees368 @ Feb 12th 2008 2:42PM]

@fahnboi

Clearly you are a fanboy, because if you knew anything you would know that unlocking refers to the unlocking of the software, not unlocking different frequencies on the phone. If the phone does not have 1700mhz, it will never be on the t-mobile 3g network.

[Yankees368 @ Feb 12th 2008 2:45PM]

@fahnboi

Clearly you are a fanboy. If you knew anything, you would know that unlocking the phone refers to unlocking the SOFTWARE, not the hardware to work on a different frequency. It is not possible if the phone does not have 1700mhz, which it will NOT.

[fahnboi @ Feb 12th 2008 3:26PM]

heardja the first time, but thanks for the compliment. anyway, that T-Mo's 3G service will be on 1700 (if true) is new to me. Seems kinda funny that they'd be pushing a new frequency when GSM phones such as iphone already have to be Quad-Band GSM (850, 900, 1800, 1900) to begin with

[Christian @ Feb 12th 2008 3:02PM]

all I ask is video telephony... Please, without thinking pr0n, I would like to see who I'm talking to someday...

[Christian @ Feb 12th 2008 3:03PM]

OMG, I would go crazy if TMO gets SE X1...

[Joe Mars @ Feb 12th 2008 4:03PM]

I think everything will be ready when my newly signed 2 yr ATT contract ends.

[b33eazy @ Feb 12th 2008 3:48PM]

@bachviet first off I said iphone 2 not 1 and it'll be unlocked we all know it,also if the iphone 2 was hacked could u change the settings so it could work with t-mobile 3g? I don't really understand how the frequency thing works

[Matt @ Feb 12th 2008 9:22PM]

b33eazy,

Unlocking the phone won't do any difference. The simplest explanation would be like this; Imagine going to the store and buying a 60 watt lightbulb...there's physically no possibility to make this light bulb be 100 watts just by cranking the power up. It would simply burn the light bulb. With frequency the radio built into the phone is tuned with electronic components (crystals) to operate on a certain frequency so there's no way to change this due to the microscopic size of the components. Years ago if you needed to change the frequency of certain devices you could have bought "crystals" and this would change the operating frequency but this was WAY before the nano-miniaturization.

Matt

[bachviet @ Feb 12th 2008 7:11PM]

No the iPhone with AT&T/Europe 3G will only work with T-Mobile EDGE/GSM. 3G part won't work since each company operates at difference frequencies.

[Eric M. @ Feb 12th 2008 4:08PM]

So I was reading this I began getting excited and then I read "T-Mob subscribers in a celebratory mood" and then I just had to laugh..lol.

But yeah this is great news, I love T-Mobile! I started with T-Mobile with an old Nokia phone but then I switched to Nextel for two years and I couldn't stand their customer care and the fact I had no service at my house! With T-Mobile the customer is great!

[r3loaded @ Feb 12th 2008 6:14PM]

What? You yanks still have a 2.5G-only carrier in your country? And that neither AT&T's 3G service or T-Mobile's future 3G service will use the world-standard 2100Mhz band for W-CDMA?

I feel really, really sorry for you...

[Marty @ Feb 12th 2008 6:45PM]

Aww, thanks for the concern. We feel equally sorry for you. Prat.

[RC @ Feb 12th 2008 7:16PM]

Don't you mean the "European standard"? Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't all of North and South America use WCDMA 850/2100, Australia use WCDMA 850/1900, and Japan use WCDMA 1900?

I may be wrong...but that's what I thought...

[r3loaded @ Feb 12th 2008 7:30PM]

RC, you're right. I fail on that point. However 2100Mhz is still used a lot more than the other bands. The fact that T-Mobile is using a band that pretty much no phones on the market support is just to increase vendor lock-in, and stop people jumping to AT&T.

[Matt @ Feb 12th 2008 9:42PM]

Yeah.. Poor us..or is it poor US...we are in really bad shape considering the fact that we get 1000 minutes for $40 yet you being in such a great 3G shape have to pay double that for 1/3 of the minutes. Or that we pay $10-15 for the unlimited texts where you probably pay double that for 50% less or that our plans do not require a rocket science to figure out what we get as opposed to what's available in Europe. Yeah.. I feel sorry for us as well...

[cromas @ Feb 12th 2008 11:22PM]

Correcting you because you're wrong -- Japan uses 2100MHz WCDMA, same as the majority of other 3GSM networks.

[bachviet @ Feb 13th 2008 12:29AM]

Actually the Western Hemisphere will use [url=http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/15/western-hemisphere-getting-behind-aws-for-3g/]AWS 1700 as its standard 3G[/url].

[bachviet @ Feb 13th 2008 12:30AM]

Actually the whole Western Hemisphere will use AWS 1700 as its standard 3G frequency: http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/15/western-hemisphere-getting-behind-aws-for-3g/

[jaime @ Feb 12th 2008 6:24PM]

now if they get a black berry wit 3g capability i will get on my knees and kiss da floor

[Adam @ Feb 12th 2008 7:18PM]

I wonder if they will still not keep track of data usage closely, I remember being on T-Mobile and finding the proxy servers that they don't keep track of. Hopefully they do a full revamp of the network when 3G goes national.

[GOLIATH @ Feb 12th 2008 8:43PM]

Actually T-Mobile 3G is on 1700/2100 W-CDMA/UTMS/HDUPSA (however it is a few ticks off from the European 2100) bands and the equipment in the towers is already up and somewhat running, so it will be an all out roll-out not city to city. The delay was due to government delay getting off these bands. This I can say is 100% accurate. When the switch is flipped T-Mobile USA will become similar to the UK and German counterparts phone wise.

[dog @ Feb 12th 2008 9:23PM]

Hamid can safely be ignored regarding the US - on any issue. He has no management authority. Wait until the word from Robert Dotson.

[kchino @ Feb 12th 2008 10:04PM]

Sony already announced that the SE X1 would come in the 1700/2100 flavor. As for the 1700 band most of the Americas and Canada agreed at the end of 2007 to use it for future build out for wireless. You'll see more manufacturers adding the 1700 radios. And whoever it was that said T-Mobile is ready to roll is right, they just need to flick the switch. Maybe if they were a bit more accommodating in giving your personal info to the US government you would have seen #G a while ago.

[Scott @ Feb 13th 2008 10:29AM]

I loves me some T-Mobile! Best advertised prices BY FAR (I'm discounting Sprint SERO which is NOT advertised). I currently have 600 mins, 400 text, and *unlimited data* for $56/mo after taxes! Best customer service BY FAR. change your plan up/down at any time with no contract extension. GSM compatibility and all the goodness that brings.

The only thing they get hit on is network coverage, which is usually only an issue if you live in the country. Since I live in the city, this has never been a problem for me.

[BioWare #1 @ Mar 20th 2008 9:25AM]

"People trash sprint but they have had 3g all over this country for years now"

People trash Sprint cause their reliability sucks, not because they lack 3G.

Actually, I take that back because that statement goes against what I truly believe in: cellular quality is REGIONAL. Some of you attack T-mo with such ferocity... but here in the Southern U.S., T-mo is only 2nd to At&t.
Verizon, Sprint, Nextel, etc. are pretty much garbage here. I have had friends w/ Sprint who have to go outside everytime they wanna make a call. I signed up w/ Helio (which piggybacks Sprint) and had the absolute worst reception ever... so bad that I turned the Helio back in under a 30-day guarantee and went back to T-mo.
So... 3G all over this country... but it does me no good when I can't get a damn signal.

But if Sprint is good where you're at... then more power to you. Stick with them.

[randy @ Apr 30th 2008 10:56AM]

so if i have a 5700 xpress music phone, which operates on the 2100 band, is this going to play nice with the new tmo 3g service?

guess i will find out tomorrow.