@ 4G World: MetroPCS expands LTE to Detroit

CHICAGO – MetroPCS Communication Inc. (PCS) continued to bully its way into the “4G” discussion today adding yet another market to its LTE coverage map and its chairman, president and CEO Roger Linquist extolling the cost benefits of the carrier’s decision to bypass 3G data.
Speaking during a keynote address at the 2010 4G world event, Linquist noted the regional flat-rate carrier has launched its LTE service in the Detroit market, following recent launches in Las Vegas and more recently in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas. The carrier continues to offer its flat-rate pricing plan for the LTE service at the $55 and $60 per month price points as well as the single Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. Craft device.
According to coverage maps, MetroPCS’ LTE coverage in Detroit is significantly smaller than its legacy CDMA-based service offering.
As for the carrier’s decision to forgo installing the data-enhanced EV-DO version of CDMA, Linquist noted the carrier was looking at long-term cost reductions in equipment and that the market for LTE is set to provide the scale necessary.
In addition, Linquist said that the carrier’s customer base was now just beginning to look at tapping into the growing mobile Internet space and that the timing proved right to bypass legacy 3G equipment and onto the next evolution of mobile technology.
With its current LTE deployments, Linquist said the carrier was meeting its expectations in providing six bits per hertz of data throughput using its 10 megahertz of spectrum in its 5×5 configuration. The carrier does plan on re-farming some of its CDMA spectrum down the road to enhance its LTE services once a voice component is added to the LTE specification through either a Voice over Internet Protocol or Voice over LTE update. Those options are expected to come online later next year.
Verizon Wireless has said it plans to commercially launch LTE-based services in 38 markets covering 100 million potential customers by the end of the year, with a heavy emphasis on data services using wireless modems. AT&T Mobility has said it would cover about 75 million pops with its LTE network by the end of 2011.