The go-getting approach of T-Mobile is clearly geared towards some imposing goals this year. The third largest carrier in the United States announced on its Facebook page that it plans to expand its 4G LTE network to 200 million people by the close of 2013.
A few weeks hence, T-Mobile will launch its 4G LTE network in Las Vegas and then expand to cover markets across the country. The new network will go operational supporting Samsung’s Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2. To streamline its efforts, T-Mobile is set to merge with MetroPCS sometime this year, provided federal agencies grant the requisite approvals.
The ambitious announcements of T-Mobile also mention about bringing in the iPhone on its network. There’s no mention about waiting for the iPhone 5S or supporting the existing iPhone 5.
The shift to the new network will bring in some changes in the contract structures as well. T-Mobile plans to move from its two-year contracts to a new “Value Plan” structure. The new structure, based on pre-paid plans, will include down payment options as well. These plans are said to be cheaper than existing plans.
While T-Mobile’s 4G LTE plans have yet to kick off, there are talks that the pricing and coverage could be more attractive than those of leading carriers. On the other hand,AT&T is busy making deals to catch up with the country’s top carrier Verizon Wireless. Notwithstanding, T-Mobile seems to have some interesting strategies at hand to stand out from its competitors this year.