MetroPCS hoping to roll out LTE in 2010
By Chris Ziegler 
posted Mar 3rd 2009 6:59PM
posted Mar 3rd 2009 6:59PM
Running through our cheat sheet of American carriers hoping to roll out LTE, regional MetroPCS definitely would not have been on our short list to scrap with Verizon in the race to launch the first commercial network stateside -- but sure enough, they're on there. Recent comments by the COO indicate that they're on track to launch 4G service some time in 2010 -- "probably the latter half" -- which raises the obvious question of why they're in such a hurry. Historically, MetroPCS has been a value brand, concentrating on non-data-centric handsets (in fact, they don't have a single data card or smartphone in their current lineup), but it's been revealed that they'll be deploying a BlackBerry later this year, so it seems they're looking to move up the food chain and capture some of that data revenue the top-tier carriers have been enjoying for the past couple of years.[Via Phone Scoop]
LTE IS NOT 4G service.
Really? What is it then?
leonard made me lulz
Technically, leonard is correct. LTE is more like 3.9G technology, as is WiMAX. The ITU is the global standards community that defined 3G and is still working on the definition for 4G. Their IMT-2000 standard is what everyone agrees to be "3G" technology. This includes CDMA2000, WCDMA, HSPA and EVDO.
In 2007, WiMAX was accepted to become an official part of IMT-2000, meaning that it's officially recognized as a "3G" standard.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMT-2000
3GPP, the standards group in charge of defining LTE, announced last year that they also applied LTE to be a part of the IMT-2000 standard as well.
However, 3GPP is in the works of the next step that they believe will be true "4G" technology, LTE-Advanced. IEEE is also working on their own "4G" technology with 802.16m. Both are looking to have a peak DL speed of 1Gbps.
The problem with going by the IMT definition is that by IMT, EDGE and 1xRTT are also 3G, while in common use they typically aren't seen as being so.
It is and it isn't. 4G isn't properly defined anywhere, and those who argue it isn't tend to point at ITU drafts which include minimum bitrates as part of the definition.
In terms of "The generation after 3G", LTE is definitely that. LTE is based upon a high bandwidth low latency TCP/IP network, with high level services like voice and messaging running over the IP stack rather than using separate fixed bandwidth channels like prior systems. WiMAX, LTE, and the stalled UMB standard are all characterized by that architecture.
I think reasonable people can call LTE 4G. It's certainly next generation.
MetroPCS is the perfect carrier for this. They have a limited network, so it wouldn't be expensive to roll out, and I think people would find unsub'd internet plans very appealing in this economy. And I think, if it were much less expensive, people would be OK with a smaller coverage area. If it were cheap/fast enough it could be a replacement for DSL, similar to how MetroPCS is viewed by many as a home phone replacement.
Who cares... TMo just came out with their $50 unlimited talk and voicemail pkg. So I add to that $25 for unlimited data & I'm paying $75 for unlimited everything on a nationwide carrier.
Can't beat that with a stick
It's about speed. Who cares about unlimited data if it's slow?
im not interested in a blackberry. dont understand why anyone is. just check ur mail or go online on any other phone and not have to pay a premium fee for it. i would consider metro pcs if they had lte. because hopefully i would finally be able to pick up an unlocked phone for them. i cant stand the stupid phones they have. theyre like toys.
Now they will have very fast toys
Something tells me Metro could be a valuable asset to buy down the road especially for a company like T-Mobile who also uses the AWS band. They'll have a premade LTE network in the regions Metro deploys it.
It'l probably be a blackberry pearl or a flip priced under 250....No way people spend 5 or 600 on a blackberry curve. Especially if they bother havin Metro in the First place.
Actually all the wireless customers who arent intrested in having to have T-Mobile for 2 years in order to get that plan $15 cheaper than Sprints Unlimited Everything Plan care....
I think this is a pretty smart move for Metro to be making. If it means they can build out their network more, that'd be awesome. I also wonder if they'd carry over their flat-fee pricing model into data...although that would require a hell of a lot of bandwidth.
T-Mobile's new unlimited plan is actually $85 for everything, not $75.
Voice = $50
Data = $25
Text = $10
It still adds up quickly, even if it is cheaper then other carriers.