T-Mobile USA Deploys New "Pico-Station" Technology, Makes Other Enhancements As Part of Continuous Coverage Quality Effort
Best Value in Wireless Keeps Getting Better
BELLEVUE, Washington - 10/23/2003 — Capping off a year in which T-Mobile USA has shifted its focus from building out major new markets to further enhancing its quality in areas of existing coverage, the company announced today a series of related quality enhancement efforts – including signing on as the first carrier to use “pico-basestations” to improve coverage inside buildings.
The new technology - the world's smallest basestation, the nanoBTS - has been developed by ip.access based in Cambridge, England, a subsidiary of TTP Communications plc. It uses a building’s existing Ethernet infrastructure to enable the nanoBTS stations to deliver service in a “pico-point” to where the service is actually needed. Deployment will begin this year.
These pico-basestations join a long list of other planned enhancements T-Mobile is currently making to its nationwide GSM network:
- Increasing spending on quality specific enhancements within its existing footprint by over 300%;
- Adding 1,000 new macro-sites in the remaining months of this year;
- Deploying new AMR “vocoder” equipment in the fourth quarter of this year to improve call quality across the national network;
- Conducting a massive network optimization program in major markets to enhance calling experiences in metropolitan areas;
- Adding roaming partnerships that extend coverage beyond major cities and into rural towns and highway corridors;
“These enhancements make the best value in wireless even better for all T-Mobile customers; and the pico-basestations build on that to provide superior coverage on corporate campuses and to major buildings so that choosing T-Mobile gets to be an even easier decision for America’s businesses,” said Tim Wong, T-Mobile’s CTO and executive vice president.
He added, “We want to create even more value and our Get More® promise to customers is how we’ll do that. Get More® means:
More Minutes
- Simple, affordable, industry-leading rate plans for voice and data, including flat rate pricing for unlimited email and web browsing;
More Features
- First-to-market products like the T-Mobile SidekickTM and tri-band color Blackberry®
- The only major all-GSM network in America, built on the most dominant wireless network standard in the world, and acknowledged by independent researchers as having the nation's best sound quality;
More Service
- Top-rated customer service among the six major national carriers;
- The largest carrier owned and operated Wi-Fi network in the country (over 3,000 locations and growing weekly) with affordable, simple and flexible rate plans;
- International roaming agreements in more than 110 countries -- rates as low as 99 cents a minute.
About T-Mobile USA, Inc.
Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile USA, Inc. is a member of the T-Mobile International group, the mobile telecommunications subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom AG (NYSE: DT). T-Mobile operates the largest GSM/GPRS 1900 voice and data network in the country, reaching over 245 million people including roaming and other agreements. In addition, T-Mobile operates the largest carrier owned Wi-Fi (802.11b) wireless broadband (WLAN) network in the country, available in more than 3,00 public access locations including Starbucks coffeehouses, Borders Books and Music, Kinko’s, airports and American Airlines Admirals Clubs, United Red Carpet Clubs and Delta Air Lines Clubs. T-Mobile is committed to providing the best value in wireless service through its GET MORE® promise to provide customers with more minutes, more features and more service than any other wireless provider. For more information, visit the company web site at www.t-mobile.com.
Contact Information
T-Mobile USA, Inc.
T-Mobile Media Relations
425-378-4002
mediarelations@t-mobile.com