T-Mobile USA 3G Countdown Begins

There has been a lot of news (1, 2) and talk about the impending T-Mobile USA 3G launch announced for October 1, 2008. I previously posted I was unable to sign on to the T-Mobile 3G signal although visible on the Nokia 6263. My ability to sign on to 3G has not yet changed however, you can bet I will let you know the moment it is live. I thought it would be fun to have a countdown to this glorious day, when there will, finally, be a true choice of 3G from GSM carriers in the USA. T-Mobile USA will be using WCDMA 1700 (1700MHz/2100MHz) similar to Europe and Asia's (1900/2100 or 900/2100).

Comments

[Howard Smith]

Darla, will my increasingly beloved, unlocked Nokia e51 - currently on T-Mobile - work on the new frequencies/bands? checking specs now....

[christexaport]

I'm surprised you're also a T-Mobile customer. You've made no issue that you have an "unlocked" device with "locked" GSM. Nowhere else in the world are unlocked phones carrier specific. And don't say T-Mobile didn't have their 3G yet, since Nokia provided the equipment to help build their network, and knew it'd be online this fall. They've used their retail partnership as an advantage, and made its unlocked device's 3G radio function only on its partner, instead of being network neutral, like all other unlocked GSM devices everywhere else in the world. This was a calculating move that surely breaks American Antitrust law, and once again cheats the customers that bought the original N95-1's in much greater numbers than at&t customers, T-Mobile.

[Matthew]

@Howard no the E51 will not have 3G on T-Mobile, GSM will continue to work as it does today.

@Christexaport this is one the biggest distortions of the truth I've ever heard regarding T-Mobile's 3G. First AT&T is actually the one that is the odd duck. By an large 3G services are launched on paired frequencies. Europe/Asia typically does 1900/2100, T-Mobile USA is doing 1700/2100 while AT&T is doing 850 or 1900 sharing the spectrum with their voice services. T-Mobile USA along with European & Asian carriers have separate spectrum for their voice networks. AT&T is in the unique position for their 3G offering in the fact they had acquired so much of it. AT&T 3G network suffers severely whenever voice capacity requires it. I've been testing AT&T's 3G network in DFW these past few months and all I can say it is beyond pathetic. AT&T in Seattle was far superior, DFW is a joke in comparison. Nokia and other carriers will be offering unlocked non-branded WCDMA 1700 phone in short order, same as they did with AT&T's 3G launch. Your anti-trust argument isn't even relevant here.

[christexaport]

still waiting... Nokia hasn't shown T-MobileUSA any love at all. We're subsidizing at&t 3G models! I've given up complaining myself. I'll either give up Nokia or T-Mobile soon, and T-Mobile has been good keeping promises, so...