MetroPCS wants LTE services next year

Well, it looks like MetroPCS is getting a bit aggressive. When speaking with GigaOm’s Stacey Higginbotham, Metro CEO Tom Keys said of his company’s plans: “It is our desire to deploy LTE in 2010, probably the latter half.” Considering Verizon, currently the frontrunner to deploy the US’s first LTE network, will only have theirs up and running for a little bit at that point, this could be a major coup for MetroPCS. Their efforts to keep up with the big players could pay off big time as the nation’s big networks migrate to 4G networks.

Keys also pretty much confirmed the rumor that MetroPCS will get the BlackBerry Curve 8330 That was reported by PhoneNews last month, with the rumor that it would be released by the end of February. That hasn’t happened, but it’s still in the offing. Keys said that his company will carry a phone from a “Canadian smartphone maker,” and all eyes turn to RIM. Combine that statement with the rumor, and it’s all but confirmed.

It looks like Metro will get the phone later in the second quarter or early in the third. That will give them an advantage in the flat-rate, unlimited calling and data market. After the Curve, the company could consider broadband modem service like their rival, Leap Wireless. LTE deployment could eventually move them up to the fifth largest carrier in the country.

Related Posts

2 Responses

1. J-Mac Says
   

   Yes Detroit is EVDO for Metro and so is Dallas.

   
   Posted on March 4th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
2. PrepaidWirelessGuy Says
   

   Assuming they don’t have a broadband offering, LTE makes no sense I would think. I would think that their strategic priority would be coverage and quality (i.e. fewer dropped calls), for Metro users don’t use, or have access to any applications that would warrant even R0 speeds…or am I missing something here? I would be surprised if the business case to upgrade to LTE simply for a prepaid broadband offering would make financial sense…?

   Cheers,
   PrepaidWirelessGuy
   http://www.prepaid-wireless-guide.com

   
   Posted on March 4th, 2009 at 4:17 pm

Leave a Reply