T-Mobile Clarifies Their HSPA+ Network And The Devices That Take Advantage Of It

There seems to be a lot of chatter about 4G today. For good reason, of course. As we get further and further into 2010, wireless carriers are focusing more and more on the fact that 4G is becoming a very, very real feature that people want. Then there's no surprise that we got an email from T-Mobile today, telling us that their HSPA+ network is out there, working, and there's already devices out there that take advantage of it, with more to come.

While we look at the existence of 4G, between WiMax and LTE, one of the things we realize is that we're going to have to buy new phones to get access to those upgrades. Just as the HTC EVO 4G shows us, it will more than likely be worth it, but it still means we're spending more money to gain access to the faster speeds. T-Mobile wants to make sure that you know there's plenty of smartphones on their network, right now, that are taking full advantage of their HSPA+ network, and that means there's plenty of people out there using it without having to spend any additional money, or get a new handset.

They also revealed that the T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide will indeed take advantage of the faster speeds, as well as the Garminfone they're set to release later this year. Right now, T-Mobile's high-speed network covers Philadelphia, New York, New Jersey, and most of suburban Washington, D.C.. They're planning on lighting up Los Angeles very soon, with several more markets just waiting in the wings. Their goal by the end of the year? Over 100 (major) metropolitan areas, and 185 million people.

While HSPA+ may not sound as great as WiMax or LTE, it's still reaching speeds plenty fast enough to get the average user out the door. 7.2 Mbps download is definitely nothing to scoff at, right? And, just like the other wireless carriers out there, T-Mobile now needs to focus on getting the network expanded, so that more people can take advantage of it.