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T-Mobile HSPA+ upgrades going on, LTE on horizon
T-Mobile, USA is offering HSPA+ services in almost 50 major metropolitan areas now (claiming 4G speeds) and its first HSPA+ smartphone is planned for this summer (rumored Android device from HTC).
Still there are no signs of it's 4G LTE move, the Company has not revealed migration path to LTE yet. Earlier it has been speculated that Sprint might merge with T-Mobile or T-Mobile may Use Harbinger's LTE Network.
With Harbinger contracting Nokia Siemens Networks to build its LTE network in $7bn, Harbinger needs to raise additional debt and equity to cover the network infrastructure expenses. To stay ahead in 4G competition, Harbinger needs big mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), as well as wireless carriers who don't own or don't want to build their own LTE network.
T-Mobile just fits in LightSquared's need and given the fact, with no LTE spectrum in hand T-Mobile needs it as well.
However this is not end of road, T-Mobile has not given up on LTE spectrum yet. T-Mobile recently completed an eight-city spectrum-interference study to convince the federal government to release more spectrum that T-Mobile might use to build an LTE network.
T-Mobile believes that 1755-1780 MHz is an optimal pair for AWS-III block (2155-2580 MHz) and is calling FCC to put this up for auction. In it's report T-Mobile says that majority of activity was above 1780 MHz (much of the activity in 1755-1780 MHz was bursty and intermittent) and it failed to see the power levels for satellite uplinks as per DOD 2001 Report.
T-Mobile argues that given new technologies, relocation from the 1755-1780 MHz band should be feasible. T-Mobile certailny wants its own network infrastructure otherwise it will have to live with LightSquared or Sprint's network.