T-Mobile expands 3G coverage for Android

September 19, 2016

T-Mobile plans to double its 3G coverage in the US ahead of the release of Google’s Android smartphone.

T-Mobile, America’s number four mobile operator, currently offers 3G connectivity in just 13 US cities.

It also has a worldwide exclusive contract with Google to supply the much-anticipated Android smartphone.

Produced by High Tech Computer (HTC), and named the HTC Dream G1, the new smartphone will run Google’s open source Android operating system, designed to bring a PC-quality browsing experience to mobile handsets.

PC-speed browsing, however, needs 3G mobile broadband network coverage.

This leaves T-Mobile playing a high speed game of catch-up before the HTC Dream’s release next month.

3G coverage on T-Mobile’s network is already offered in Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Phoenix, Portland, San Antonio, and San Diego.

New 3G networks will be installed in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Orlando, Philadelphia, Sacramento, San Francisco, and Seattle, with work to be completed by mid-October.

Even with the new networks, T-Mobile will be a long way behind its US competitors in terms of 3G coverage, causing analysts to question Google’s choice of network operator and to wonder whether T-Mobile will be able to capitalise on the anticipation surrounding the Android phone’s release.