T-Mobile announced they are lighting up more than 50 markets with their improved ‘4G’ mobile broadband capability, offering theoretical download speeds of 42 Mb/s. The claim doubles their current network’s theoretical download speeds of 21 Mb/s. Actual average speeds will be significantly lower.
“We are continuing the aggressive expansion of America’s Largest 4G Network™, and also doubling our speeds in more than 50 markets this month,” said Neville Ray, chief technology officer, T-Mobile USA. “While customers with existing 3G and 4G devices will benefit from our continued network enhancements, new devices like the new Rocket 3.0 laptop stick will enable customers to reap the benefits of even faster 4G speeds.”
With this latest move, T-Mobile claims the fastest mobile broadband service in North America. They use HSPA+ technology across their AWS spectrum to achieve these speeds. T-Mobile also announced the availability of a USB modem, the Rocket 3.0 made by ZTE, which supports the faster speeds.
Just ahead of this announcement, T-Mobile also introduced new wireless data plans, including contract and no contract offers.
We all know that very few consumers will see 42 Mb/s, especially when T-Mobile’s network gets loaded. But they will experience very fast mobile broadband, rivaling and surpassing in many instances, wireline broadband options.
It’s equally imortant to recognize the impact these announcements and their accompanying marketing campaigns have on consumer expectation of broadband, mobile or otherwise. These and other 4G advancements raise the bar in consumer’s minds about broadband and challenge broadband service providers of all kinds to meet these rising expectations, warranted or not.
