Ina Fried

Recent Posts by Ina Fried

Apple Developers to Get a Taste of What iPhone on T-Mobile’s High-Speed Network Looks Like

T-Mobile has picked an interesting spot to test out a new network option that will, at long last, allow existing iPhones to run at full speed on its network.

The carrier has said it is rejiggering its network to free up space to allow high-speed data traffic on one of the bands used by the iPhone. A full rollout of this re-farmed spectrum is planned for later this year. However, at least one of the places where T-Mobile is running tests is Moscone Center, the San Francisco convention center that next week will host Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference.

T-Mobile insists that the timing and location are coincidental.

“While upgrading coverage inside the West side of the Moscone Center, T-Mobile has also deployed 4G HSPA+ service in the 1900 MHz band to test the live network on a small scale,” T-Mobile said in a statement. “As part of the company’s previously announced $4 billion network modernization effort, T-Mobile plans to launch 4G HSPA+ service in the 1900 MHz band in a large number of markets by the end of the year, which will make our 4G network compatible with a broader range of devices, including the iPhone.”

T-Mobile has said it already has upward of one million iPhones running on its network, even though they can only surf at what amounts to 2G speeds. By making the network changes, it expects to be able to allow iPhones to run on its faster HSPA+ network, though it remains unclear when or if it will strike a deal to be able to sell the iPhone in the U.S. itself.

Latest Video

View all videos »

Search »

Another gadget you don’t really need. Will not work once you get it home. New model out in 4 weeks. Battery life is too short to be of any use.

— From the fact sheet for a fake product entitled Useless Plasticbox 1.2 (an actual empty plastic box) placed in L.A.-area Best Buy stores by an artist called Plastic Jesus