MetroPCS Announces LTE Roll-Out Plans

MetroPCS is yet another wireless carrier in the United States set to start the deployment of an LTE network during the ongoing year, and the company has just announced that it will start the roll-out in metropolitan areas in the country in the second half of 2010. Moreover, it seems that it will also make available an LTE-enabled, multi-mode, CDMA, 4G handset from Samsung, the SCH-r900, so that its users can enjoy the capabilities of the new technology.

MetroPCS's 4G network will be built on an LTE network infrastructure from Samsung, the carrier also announced, stating that the Las Vegas metropolitan area is among the first to enjoy the connectivity. LTE network products from Samsung Mobile will be used in this market, and users will benefit from a series of advanced services on compatible handsets, the carrier added.

The upcoming network, based on the Long Term Evolution standard, will enable faster services when compared to those available today on 3G networks, including real-time streaming video on demand (VOD), improved web browsing, music downloads, and more. Not to mention that users will also be able to increase productivity via voice communication solutions, or to access a wide range of downloadable applications.

“Samsung Mobile’s commercial LTE network products leverage years of 4G orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) commercial network experience and have flexible bandwidth support of 1.4 to 20 MHz standards. Samsung Mobile’s network infrastructure supports a wide portfolio of enhanced node B (eNB) products, including rack types, remote radio heads, picocells and distributed antenna system (DAS) hosts,” the carrier states.

The Samsung SCH-r900 is set to become one of the first 4G handsets launched in the United States, and is expected to become available for purchase via MetroPCS in the second half of the ongoing year. The release of this handset is the result of a collaboration between Samsung Mobile and MetroPCS for the delivery of advanced LTE handsets, services and infrastructure.