T-Mobile G1 Set For Launch: Are You 3G-Covered?
T-Mobile said the Washington, D.C., area will get a full 3G makeover come late November, upping the number of locations with T-Mobile 3G coverage to more than 120 major cities. And last week, 3G coverage was launched in the Sacramento, Calif., area. In addition, this week, T-Mobile plans to 3G-ify the areas around Memphis, Tenn., and Tampa, Fla. Overall, T-Mobile said, when the G1 launches Wednesday 95 cities will be blanketed with 3G coverage.
T-Mobile's 95 cities is few compared with other carriers, like AT&T, which offers 3G coverage in 280 U.S. metropolitan areas and expects to offer 3G service in nearly 350 metro areas by year's end. While it doesn't offer concrete numbers, Verizon Wireless says it offers the broadest 3G coverage in the U.S.
"We're excited about the broad scale and reach of our 3G footprint in major cities across the nation, already accessible by tens of millions of consumers. And today, where the majority of our customers use data services, our 3G network is there for them," Neville Ray, senior vice president of engineering and operations, T-Mobile USA, said in a statement. "Our 3G footprint will continue to expand, and we look forward to continuing to deliver the rich experiences a 3G network can bring to T-Mobile customers."
When T-Mobile announced the G1 last month, the carrier said it already offered 3G services in 16 mass markets. Twenty-two mass markets will be served by Wednesday when the G1 hits the streets, and by mid-November T-Mobile expects the number of markets served by 3G to reach 27. The carrier vowed to continue growing its 3G coverage area to best serve users.
3G networks promise faster data rates for boosted Web viewing and application downloads. And, according to T-Mobile, users who buy a G1 and don't currently live in a 3G covered area can still utilize the smartphone on the carrier's EDGE network, which offers moderate-speed data services for e-mail, instant messaging and texting; downloading light data files; and sending photographs via e-mail or picture messages. 3G, however, is speedier than the EDGE network and enables the viewing of content-heavy Web sites; YouTube and other video files; large file uploads; and large file downloads.
The G1, which reached 1.5 million preorders last week, is T-Mobile's and Google's answer to the rash of coveted touch-screen devices that have recently hit the market. The G1's release pits T-Mobile head-to-head against the Apple iPhone 3G and the recently announced BlackBerry Storm touch screen from Research In Motion.