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Posts tagged: T-Mobile

T-Mobile upgrades its 4G network for Spokane, Kootenai County customers

June 17, 2011 12:42 p.m. • 0 comments

This week, T-Mobile announced it's upgraded and unleashed a new, more robust 4G service for Spokane-area customers. Last week Verizon Wireless also released a 4G upgrade for area subscribers.

Here's part of the release from T-Mobile:

Today, T-Mobile announced it is doubling the speed of its 4G network in the Spokane area, providing customers with increased capacity, reliability and even more consistent, faster speeds.
T-Mobile currently offers more than a dozen 4G-capable devices spanning smartphones, tablets and mobile broadband products that will benefit from America’s Largest 4G Network™. The company has seen average download speeds approaching 10Mbps with peak speeds of 27Mbps on the T-Mobile Rocket 3.0 laptop stick—the company’s first 42Mbps device.

The map of the upgrade includes a wide range of the city, including Riverfront Park, SFCC, Gonzaga University, Riverside State Park, Spokane Fairgrounds, Avista, downtown, and the Spokane Arena.

Notably, the upgrade also includes Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene.

Anyone in Sandpoint a T-Mobile customer who can see if the upgrade has occurred there, as well?

Meanwhile: federal regulators are still quietly looking at the proposed acquisition of T-Mobile by AT&T. No news recently on which way the winds are blowing on that topic.

How T-Mobile will help AT&T expand 4G service across most of the Northwest

March 25, 2011 5:51 p.m. • 0 comments

While AT&T won't say when Spokane and North Idaho will have its own version of 4G broadband services, the company is presenting a visual map of plans covering the next several years, using a before-and-after map scheme.

Both maps come from the marketing and communications department of AT&T.

Dark blue areas indicate 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) service. The map on the left is the projected 4G rollout — by 2013 — for Washington and North Idaho. For now, AT&T is providing its version of 4G only in the Puget Sound. There is no 4G service in Spokane, though Verizon Wireless has said it plans to deliver it later this year.

The right-side map proposes a significant AT&T 4G rollout across Eastern Washington and parts of North Idaho. Specifically the rollout looks to expand service up toward the Canadian border, and across the upper Panhandle to Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry.

No date is mentioned by the company for that investment, and it will be interesting if AT&T sticks to its plan to reach those less-populated areas.

Important: the right-side map only reflects what could happen if federal regulators approve the purchase of T-Mobile by AT&T.The map includes this wording: “The AFTER map shows the additional 4G LTE deployment that will occur due to (the T-Mobile) deal by the period ending five years after the deal closes.”

AT&T spokeswoman Colleen Smith added this comment about the plan and the value of the merger:

“AT&T and T-Mobile USA customers will see service improvements including better voice quality and data service. At closing, AT&T will immediately gain cell sites equivalent to what would have taken on average five years to build without the transaction. The acquisition will increase AT&T’s network density by approximately 30 percent in some of its most populated areas, without constructing new cell towers.”