T-Mobile's LTE-Advanced Wireless Network Now Covers Over 920 Markets

T-Mobile has been at the forefront of rolling out faster mobile networks with a big push for LTE Advanced. The Un-carrier has now announced that it has rolled out LTE Advanced networks in over 920 markets passing every other national wireless company. T-Mobile's network uses a combination of three speed-boosting technologies including carrier aggregation, 4x4 MIMO, and 256 QAM. Those three features are live in 430 of the markets with the LTE Advanced networks in place, providing Gigabit-class speeds.

Download speeds compared to previous networks are doubled when using LTE Advanced according to T-Mobile. When carrier aggregation, 4x4 MIMO, and 256 QAM are added, the download speeds double again according to T-Mobile. The LTE Advanced networks rely on smartphones and devices that use Qualcomm Snapdragon Gigabit LTE modems inside. The carrier also says that it plans to launch License Assisted Access known as LAA, which is another LTE Advanced technology able to tap into unlicensed spectrum on small cells this year. That will add additional density to the network for more capacity and speed.

"This is what I’m talking about when I say T-Mobile has America’s best unlimited network and the only one purpose built for unlimited," said Neville Ray, Chief Technology Officer for T-Mobile. "Not only do we have a nationwide LTE footprint that’s every bit as broad as the Duopoly's, and the fastest according to multiple third parties -- it also keeps getting faster. Gigabit Class LTE technology is part of the secret sauce behind our success – and why others are struggling under the weight of unlimited – and we’re only continuing to advance with LAA on the horizon."

T-Mobile has more than doubled the LTE Advanced footprint it offers since last year. T-Mobile also says that the LAA small cell deployment sites are paving the way for 5G thanks to a dense and upgradable network.

"Global momentum for Gigabit Class LTE is continuing to pick up around the world, and we’re delighted that T-Mobile is planning to deliver gigabit connectivity to millions of consumers in the United States," said Mike Finley, senior vice president and president, Qualcomm North America and Australia, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. "In addition to providing blazing fast mobile connectivity, Gigabit Class LTE enables operators to expand network capacity to accommodate increasing demands by unlimited data plans, and increases overall spectral efficiency, enabling faster speeds for all users in the network."