AT&T Promises 3G In 200 Markets By Year’s End — T-Mobile Delayed

AT&T plans to announce in coming weeks that it has upgraded its mobile network to handle data speeds of 500-800 kbps, up from the current 120 kbps. By the end of the year AT&T (NYSE: T) expects these high-speed networks to cover 200 markets with 170 million people, reports Reuters. The catalyst for the upgrade is not the recently released iPhone (apparently AT&T has surveyed iPhone users and found “they’re telling us their EDGE experience is great”…I wonder if they ask how many of them use WiFi for data?) but rather the increase trend for people to upload photos and video to social networks and blogs. Whatever the reason, it should improve the mobile data experience, which can only be a good thing for content providers.

Meanwhile, T-Mobile’s 3G rollout is delayed because the government agencies currently using the spectrum are having trouble vacating it. “T-Mobile spent $4.2 billion to acquire 120 licenses in the 1700 MHz band, and reportedly offered the federal government an additional $50 million to move off of that spectrum sooner rather than later” reports PhoneScoop.

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