T-Mobile's "4G" (HSPA+) Network Now in 75 Areas With Two New Devices

With 75 new areas now have access to T-Mobile's HSPA+ service, you want a "4G" with the device for use with network facilities. T-Mobile myTouch 4G and Dell Inspiron Mini 10 4G netbook are available from today, but you'd have to be pretty crazy to pass up the G2.

BELLEVUE, Wash. - Nov. 2, 2010 - T-Mobile USA, Inc. today announced the expansion of its 4G mobile broadband network to six additional metro areas, and introduced two new products designed to tap into its 4G service. Tomorrow marks the national retail availability of the
T-Mobile® myTouch® 4G and T-Mobile's first 4G netbook, the Dell™ Inspiron™ Mini 10 4G. With typical download speeds that are on par with or faster than competing 4G technologies, and service availability in 75 metropolitan markets throughout the United States, the T-Mobile network now offers a super-fast, next generation mobile broadband experience to more people than any other wireless network in the country.

"4G is about performance and today T-Mobile's HSPA+ network is delivering 4G speeds that match and often beat WiMAX and are readily comparable to what early LTE will deliver. Our 4G network is capable of theoretical speeds up to 21Mbps and we have seen average download speeds approaching 5 Mbps on our myTouch 4G phone in some cities with peak speeds of nearly 12 Mbps. Further, independent reviewers have seen average download speeds on our webConnect Rocket between 5 and 8 Mbps with peak speeds up to 8-10Mbps," said Neville Ray, chief technology officer, T-Mobile USA. "The footprint of our 4G service is not something that competitors are going to match anytime soon, and starting today, we will begin marketing our network advantage with TV commercials advertising ‘America's Largest 4G Network' from T-Mobile."
The "America's Largest 4G Network" message will be communicated in an iconic, arresting and memorable way through national TV and digital advertisements that will begin airing today on major TV networks and cable TV stations, including ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and TNT, and appearing on websites, including AOL, MSN, Amazon.com and easily viewable on T-Mobile's YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/tmobile.
T-Mobile expanded the availability of its 4G network to six additional metropolitan areas, including Chicago, Ill.; Colorado Springs, Colo.; Ft. Wayne, Ind.; Louisville, Ky.; and Raleigh-Durham and Wilmington, N.C. T-Mobile customers with 4G devices in 75 metropolitan areas can now enjoy faster Web browsing, uninterrupted video streaming and quicker downloads at no additional cost.
"Consumers do not understand the technical alphabet soup of technologies involved in 4G, but for our purposes we define WiMAX, LTE and HSPA+ as 4G technologies," said Chris Nicoll, distinguished research fellow, Yankee Group. "HSPA+ is evolving a far more ambitious and long-term road map than was originally envisioned. T-Mobile is using an upgrade to HSPA+ to deliver faster 4G speeds today and is quickly bringing a number of HSPA+ devices to market that greatly enhance the mobile data experience for its customers."
In addition to the network expansion, T-Mobile continues to broaden its lineup of products that tap into its 4G network. Available today is the stylish and powerful T-Mobile myTouch 4G smartphone. Designed to access faster speeds on T-Mobile's 4G network, the myTouch 4G also includes a front-facing camera for Video Chat through Yahoo! Messenger or QIK, HD Camcorder with Screen Share by Twonky™, 5-megapixel camera with flash, Android 2.2, and additional exclusive T-Mobile features such as Genius Button™, powered by Dragon Dictation from Nuance Communications, myModes and Faves Gallery™. The myTouch 4G is appearing in a national ad campaign beginning today and will be the featured device at T-Mobile retail stores nationwide this holiday season. Also available today is the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 4G, T-Mobile's first netbook to feature built-in access to T-Mobile's 4G mobile broadband network. It also includes Windows 7 Starter Edition - Microsoft Corp.'s latest operating system - and a fast processor for easy Web surfing, communication, photo sharing and multimedia playback in one small, ultraportable device.
"With an upgrade path that continues to provide room for considerable speed enhancements, T-Mobile's 4G network is purpose-built for continued growth. We are now on pace to increase our 4G footprint - reaching 200 million people by the end of this year - with plans to offer 42Mbps theoretical speeds in 2011," added Ray. "As customer demand for wireless data increases, T-Mobile is well-positioned to compete based on the speed, breadth and evolution path of our mobile broadband service."
Additional 4G products already available from T-Mobile and designed to take advantage of the faster 4G service include the T-Mobile webConnect® Rocket™ 2.0 laptop stick and the high-powered T-Mobile G2™ with Google™ smartphone. T-Mobile's 4G smartphones, the myTouch 4G and the T-Mobile G2, are powered by the Android 2.2 operating system, which provides tethering and Wi-Fi Sharing capabilities. Beginning this holiday season, T-Mobile will offer a Tethering and Wi-Fi Sharing service plan that allows customers to use their smartphone as wireless modem for connecting laptops and other devices to the Internet through the T-Mobile mobile broadband network. Customers can add the Tethering and Wi-Fi Sharing plan to their Web – Unlimited $30/monthly plan for an additional $14.99/month.
Product Availability
T-Mobile plans to offer a selection of affordable data plans for both smartphones and broadband products, with smartphone data plans starting as low as $10/month. T-Mobile customers do not pay a premium for access to its 4G network. For more information on T-Mobile products, services, pricing and promotions, visit http://www.t-mobile.com.
The myTouch 4G is available nationwide tomorrow through T-Mobile retail stores, online at http://www.t-mobile.com, at select third-party dealers, and at leading national retailers including Best Buy, Costco, RadioShack, Sam's Club and Target. Customers can visit http://mytouch.t-mobile.com for more information about the myTouch family of smartphones including the myTouch 4G.
The Dell™ Inspiron™ Mini 10 4G is available tomorrow at http://www.t-mobile.com.

Extend Your Wireless Network with an Old Router and Powerline Adapters

We've shown you one way to turn your wifi router into a repeater, but if your router doesn't have the firmware or your walls aren't wireless-friendly, you can get similar results with the addition of a device called a powerline adapter.

Photo by Andy Butkaj.

While we definitely love hacking our routers with new firmware, it does have a few downsides, most notably the fact that it's a pain to install. Furthermore, you may not be comfortable installing third-party firmware that hacks your device, if your router doesn't have the required firmware available. Technology blog Tested points out that a couple powerline adapters can help give you the same results by connecting your old router to your network through the power lines already installed in your home.

Essentially, instead of wirelessly "extending" your network, you'll be turning your old router into an access point and putting it in the dead zone of your house. It'll still need to be connected to the network, though, which is where the powerline adapters come in. Powerline adapters plug into your A/C outlets and connect to your network. You don't need any kind of electrical experience to get them working. You could, of course wire it up via Ethernet, but you probably don't want Ethernet cables running all through your house—so powerline adapters are a pretty awesome way to go.

You'll need to tweak quite a few settings on your router to make this work, and powerline extenders aren't super cheap—you could probably pick a few up for the same price of a regular wireless network extender—but if you have a house that isn't wireless extender-friendly (due to thick walls or a strangely shaped house), this is a great way to get wireless everywhere you need it. Hit the link for the full guide, and let us know your experience with powerline extenders in the comments.

How To Use an Old Router to Expand Your Wi-Fi Network [Tested]

Remotely Reboot Your Router from Any Browser

We've all had those routers that just don't cooperate, and every once in a while lose connection and need to be rebooted (or rather, unplugged and then plugged back in). Here's how to do it without walking across your whole house.

If this happens to you a lot, your router may have a larger underlying issue that needs to be fixed—perhaps the firmware needs an update, or your router is not cooperating with your ISP and you need to give them a call. If it happens only once in a while, though, and you have yet to find a defining solution (maybe you just have a cheap router), here's an easy way to reboot your router without having to be near it.

Note that you'll need to have administrator access to the router. If this is your personal, home router, this is easy. Chances are, the router is still using the default username and password for that model, which is readily available information. You can also do a hard reset of your router by using a paper clip to press the reset button on the back. If you'd rather not restore the factory settings, though, and you have a backup of your config file, you can also use previously mentioned RouterPassView to find your username and password.

To reboot the router when the connection goes down, just type in your router's IP address in the address bar of any browser. The IP address should be easily viewable in your computer's network preferences, though it's usually http://192.168.1.1 or something similar. Every router's settings page is different, but you should be able to reboot the router just by going to basic settings and hitting the "save" or "apply" button without making any changes—this will reboot your router and hopefully get your connection up and running again.

This information is an amalgamation of information from commenters over at Lifehacker Australia and a bit of Googling. I've tested it as much as I can, but I can't verify that this works for restoring lost connections that require an unplug/replug (since I cannot reproduce the event that would cause that type of connection loss), so let us know if this works for you in the comments.

Ask Lifehacker: Rebooting Your Router Remotely [Lifehacker Australia]

So Long, Unlimited Data: Verizon Wants Tiered 4G Plans

Yesterday, Verizon Wireless big boss Lowell McAdam told investors that when 4G hits, unlimited data plans won't make sense anymore. Instead, buying "buckets" of data—where you'd purchase a set number of monthly megabytes—is the model of the future.

Just to be clear: segmented data plans like that might be ideal for Verizon Wireless, but they're the opposite for consumers who'll have to shell out overage fees. Especially when McAdam also conceded that the cost of carrying 1MB of data over LTE will be half to a third that of 3G data transfer.

Some brighter news came out of the talk: Verizon's expecting three to five 4G handsets on their network in the first half of 2011, with calls originating from LTE phones being carried over VoIP by 2012.

But the main message: a shift in networks means a shift in billing policy. I guess tiered data plans have been inevitable for some time now. I just didn't know it would be quite this depressing to see them looming on the near horizon. [Financial Times via Engadget]

How-To: Use Your iPhone as a Wireless Laptop Modem

I travel a lot. And if you’re a geek like me, you can’t go a full day sans internet access without experiencing some severe withdrawal symptoms. Luckily, my iPhone, with all its WiFi and 3G goodness, has been instrumental in feeding my addiction while on the road. But though Apple’s smartphone provides the best mobile browsing experience out there, the small screen and touch controls still don’t compare to the pixel real estate and tactile qwerty speed of a laptop. Not to mention such luxuries as Flash compatibility, page caching, and tabbed browsing.

So the next time you’re stranded without an open WiFi network (but your 3G signal is going strong), you’ll be glad you installed Addition’s iPhoneModem 2 (free to try, full license is $9.99). Unfortunately, Apple has apparently deemed the app to be in conflict with its App Store Terms and Conditions, so it is only available for jailbroken phones via Cydia. Here’s a quick guide:

1) Jailbreak your iPhone.
Download and install QuickPwn, an easy-to-use jailbreaking application for Windows and Mac (the latest version works with iPhone OS 2.2.1). Run the software and follow the onscreen instruction very carefully!

2) Install iPhoneModem by Addition.
QuickPwn installs an app on your phone called Cydia, which is essentially the App Store for apps that were rejected from the official App Store (or, for whatever reason, the developer chose not to release through Apple). Run Cydia, search for iPhoneModem by Addition and install it. Keep in mind you can only delete Cydia installed apps via Cydia’s Manage-Sources function. Now download and install the helper app on your laptop and you’re almost ready to go.

3)Set up the network.
Run the helper app and hit Connect. The helper app sets up an ad hoc wireless network that can be accessed via iPhone. The default network it creates is called “iPhoneModem” and does not have a password (you can change this in the Preferences of the helper app). Now open up your iPhone’s Settings and tap WiFi. Make sure WiFi is turned on and select the network “iPhoneModem” (or whatever you called it). Type the password if you assigned one. Open up the Modem iPhone app and everything else will configure automatically. After a few moments the helper app and the iPhone app will confirm that a connection has been established and you can browse away with all the comforts of your laptop!

Shortcomings:
While 3G seems plenty fast on a phone, it feels a little slow on a laptop. Also, most major web browsers work but not all are supported. In addition, a lot of other internet applications aren’t supported, but for all intents and purposes, you should be able to browse just fine.

*Note: If you haven’t already discovered, jailbreaking your iPhone opens up a world of possibilities, including themes and apps that aren’t allowed in the App Store. While it technically voids the warranty, you can easily return your device to its original state with the “Restore” feature in iTunes, wiping all traces of the jailbreak hack.

T-Mobile HSPA+ Speed Test: 3G Gets Pumped Up to 21Mbps

Streaming HD video. Uploading gigantic files. Surfing the web comfortably. These aren't things you'd normally expect on 3G. But T-Mobile's beefed up HSPA+ network, which I tested recently in the first city to launch, handled these tasks beautifully. Simultaneously.

While the other carriers are looking past 3G to 4G technologies—Sprint with its WiMax already up and running, and AT&T and Verizon banking on LTE—T-Mobile is the one doing the most to upgrade the 3G network it already has in place. Overhauling their existing HSPA 3G network to HSPA+ promises theoretical speeds of 21Mbps—three times faster than the 3G we know and don't quite love.

In my testing throughout Philadelphia, the first city to get the upgrade, I found that I was routinely getting triple the speeds we expect from 3G nationally—take a look at our nationwide 3G megatest if you need a refresher—with the HSPA+ network averaging in the high 3Mbps range and peaking at 7.81Mbps in one location.

The 3x jump makes a big difference. Consistently averaging download speeds in the high 3Mbps range might not seem like a terrific improvement, but in practice it puts the experience a lot closer to the broadband you take for granted at home than the crippled access you're often stuck with on 3G. And I really tried to push the HSPA+ network by using the internet the way I would at home, at my most extreme. At one point, I was uploading a several-hundred megabyte file to FTP briskly (around 150KB/sec), downloading a torrent even more briskly (~350KB/sec), and still loading web pages quickly and all at once, instead of piece by frustrating piece. At the end of the day, when I was done with all my testing and just catching up with the stuff I follow on the internet, I didn't immediately ditch the 3G and jump back on Wi-Fi. I didn't feel the need to.

Philadelphia is the first city to get pumped up to HSPA+, though T-Mobile is aiming for coverage in major cities across the nation by the end of the year. Since it's not a new network, just an expansion of their current one, many customers who live in areas with HSPA+ coverage will see improvements in speed with the gear they're using right now. Anything that's HSPA 7.2 compatible—that includes HTC HD2, myTouch, Moto CLIQ, Moto CLIQ XT, Samsung Behold II, HTC Touch Pro 2, Dash 3G—will notice snappier speeds. But to really see things crank, you'll need a dedicated HSPA+ device, and T-Mobile's first is the webConnect Rocket USB stick. I tried out the Rocket, which works with Mac and PC, all over Philly, and was impressed with the results.

I tried the same tests we used in our nationwide 3G test: several runs of speedtest.net, several timed page loads of the Wikimedia Commons Hubble page, and several timed loads of a big Hubble image itself.

Here's where I went. Some of the places were suggested by T-Mobile as optimal testing spots—and cheating or not, I followed them in search of the biggest bandwidth readings. But even when I was off on my own, I found that my speeds rarely dipped to levels currently attainable by standard 3G, and were often, as you can see, much much faster, including latency under 100ms at almost every location.

View Philly HSPA+ Testing in a larger map

The webConnect Rocket USB stick is on sale now and can be purchased for $99 with a 2-year contract or $199 without one. With the contract, you get T-Mobile's EvenMore Data Plan, which will run you $59.99/mo for 5GB data or $29.99/mo for 200MB data, and without it the Rocket gets the EvenMore Data Plus Plan, costing $49.99/mo for 5GB and $19.99 a month for 200MB. If you pay full price up front, the stick pays for itself in 10 months, which might be a good deal, as it's just about how long HSPA+ will enjoy its mobile broadband crown until AT&T and Verizon start deploying LTE in 2011.

That 5GB data cap, however, could be a problem. With the 3G speeds we're used to just surfing the web can be a chore. Downloading big files or watching HD video were usually out of the question. But since the HSPA+ feels like your broadband at home, it's easy to treat it that way, and I can imagine users racking up 5GB dangerously quickly. By my back of the napkin calculations, at the speeds I saw, it'd only take about 4 hours of continuously downloading files to eat up your month's allowance. I forsee customers clamoring for beefed up plans to match T-Mobile's beefed up network.

T-Mobile says they are planning "broad national deployment" for HSPA+ by the end of 2010 and will be naming specific cities at the CTIA conference starting next week. How aggressively they roll out the upgrades will determine the fate of HSPA+, if it emerges as a worthwhile pre-4G alternative or if it falls to the footnotes of mobile broadband history. But if you have the need for speed and HSPA+ makes its way to your city, it's definitely worth your attention. It's so fast, you might forget it's 3G.

Internode Launches Mobile Data Service On Back Of Optus 3G

By Nick Broughall

Internode have jumped on the mobile data train by hopping into bed with Optus. Their mobile service, called NodeMobile Data, will be available from tomorrow, and uses the Optus 3G infrastructure.Pricing starts at $14.95 a month for 250MB, or you can get 3GB for $39.95 a month, which all seems to hang on the more expensive side of the mobile data spectrum (Three offers 1GB for $15 a month and Vodafone offers 5GB for $40). Downloads and uploads count towards the data consumption figure as well, so there’ll be no torrenting here, thank you very much.

Internode customers can get a free USB modem by signing up for 24 months, while non-Internodies will have to fork out $199. You can bring your own modem for a setup fee of $25 (for the SIM card).

Gus over at Lifehacker has a full rundown of the extra data charges, but suffice to say that there are more appealing mobile broadband deals on the market.

[Internode]

Telstra Boosts Next G’s Uplink Speed To 5.8Mbps

By Nick Broughall

You’ve got to give it to Telstra: Even though you pay for it dearly, their Next G network keeps advancing leaps and bounds beyond what any of the other networks have to offer. First there was the speed bump to 21Mbps download speeds, and now they’ve bumped up the upload speeds to 5.8Mbps.

Like the 21Mbps figure, the 5.8Mbps is only a theoretical maximum – in the real world you’re more likely to get speeds of 300Kbps to 3Mbps in capital cities, or up to 1Mbps everywhere else. For comparison, Optus’s HSPA network has a theoretical maximum of 2Mbps uplink, with real world speeds in metro areas varying between 150Kbps and 1.5Mbps (or 1.1Mbps in regional areas). Telstra reckon that this speed boost makes uploading stuff about 3 times faster than before.

The uplink speed boost will work with the Telco’s 21Mbps HSPA modem straight away with a firmware upgrade available from Sierra Wireless’ website, while other NextG and BigPond customers will have the update made available in the coming weeks.

[Telstra]

Trimble Introduces Ag3000 Modem to Access VRS Networks for High Accuracy Farming

DECATUR, Ill., Sept. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Trimble (Nasdaq: TRMB)
introduced today the Ag3000(TM) modem. When installed as part of a Trimble(R)
AgGPS(R) Autopilot(TM) system, the quad-band GSM/GPRS (Global System for
Mobile Communications/General Packet Radio Service) modem allows farmers to
improve machine guidance accuracy by accessing network correction signals that
use Trimble VRS(TM) technology via a cellular connection. VRS network
corrections are an option for farmers who require repeatable high accuracy but
cannot easily access a correction signal from existing RTK (Real Time
Kinematic) base station radio towers.

The announcement was made today at the Farm Progress Show, the nation's
largest outdoor farm show.

Trimble designed the Ag3000 to easily interface with Trimble Global Navigation
Satellite System (GNSS) receivers, lightbars and the FmX(TM) integrated
display powered by Transcend(TM) technology, a proprietary Trimble positioning
capability that provides users with high accuracy, flexible solutions for the
most challenging agriculture applications and environments. With a rugged
enclosure for easy in-cab installation, the Ag3000 also offers an external
cell phone antenna for enhanced reception. Pricing for the modem, cabling and
an external antenna is US$1,495 MSRP. 

"Trimble VRS networks complement existing RTK base stations and allow us to
provide more acres of sub-inch accuracy to the agricultural community," said
Erik Arvesen, vice president and general manager for Trimble's Agriculture
Division. "Using the Ag3000 modem, farmers located in areas with robust cell
phone coverage and access to VRS networks have more choices available to
improve machine guidance accuracy for their precision agricultural
operations."

The Ag3000 can access RTK signals from U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
networks in states where they exist, such as Ohio and others. A partial
directory of Trimble VRS installations can be found at:
http://www.trimble.com/infrastructure/vrs-installations.aspx. In addition to
public and private networks that use Trimble VRS technology, Trimble also owns
and operates Trimble VRS Now(TM) service, a subscription-based service, in
select locations around the world and is constantly adding more locations. For
more information about subscribing to Trimble's VRS Now service, visit:
http://www.trimble.com/infrastructure/services.aspx.

The Ag3000 modem is expected to be available in September 2009 through
Trimble's Agriculture reseller network. For more information, call
1-800-874-6253 or visit www.trimble.com/agriculture to find a Trimble
reseller.

About Trimble

Trimble applies technology to make field and mobile workers in businesses and
government significantly more productive. Solutions are focused on
applications requiring position or location--including surveying,
construction, agriculture, fleet and asset management, public safety and
mapping. In addition to utilizing positioning technologies, such as GPS,
lasers and optics, Trimble solutions may include software content specific to
the needs of the user. Wireless technologies are utilized to deliver the
solution to the user and to ensure a tight coupling of the field and the back
office. Founded in 1978, Trimble is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif.

For more information, visit Trimble's Web site at www.trimble.com.

GTRMB



SOURCE  Trimble

Willa McManmon, Investor Relations , +1-408-481-7838,
willa_mcmanmon@trimble.com, or media, Lea Ann McNabb, +1-408-481-7808,
leaann_mcnabb@trimble.com, both of Trimble

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS111018+02-Sep-2009+PRN20090902.