T-Mobile US has embarked on a “major programme” to upgrade its 2G/EDGE network to LTE. The self-styled ‘un-carrier’ operator plans to complete 50 per cent of the work this year and “substantially complete” it by the middle of next year.

In addition, T-Mobile US plans to start deploying LTE this year in newly-acquired 700MHz A-Block spectrum.

The two announcements come less than a year after T-Mobile US first started rolling out its 4G network, which now reaches 210 million people in 273 metro areas worldwide.

The operator boasted it had delivered the fastest-growing LTE network in the US.

“Right now, T-Mobile covers 96 per cent of Americans and, over the past year, we’ve completely shattered records with the fastest 4G LTE deployment the US wireless industry has ever seen.” said John Legere (pictured), outspoken CEO of T-Mobile US. “Our competitors want you to believe our network doesn’t measure up. But that just isn’t true. And American consumers are going to see right through the spin and half-truths when given the facts.”

T-Mobile US said it would be taking legal action against Verizon, claiming the maps used in its TV advertising were “misleading”.

“Verizon’s ink blots massively understate our coverage and don’t begin to represent the actual customer experience on T-Mobile’s network,” said Legere. “So we’re setting the record straight – both by demanding an end to the misinformation, and by going straight to the people with the truth.”

Legere argued that Verizon “cherry-picked a single network technology” to depict in its ads rather than “accurately reflecting the many technologies widely in use today”.

T-Mobile US likes to include its ‘4G’ HSPA+ network in the 4G mix, as well as LTE, which boosts its ‘4G’ coverage.

Neville Ray, T-Mobile US’ CTO, claimed the operator’s 4G LTE network will reach 230 million people across the US by mid-year.

“By year’s end,” he added, “we’re going to be delivering wicked-fast 4G LTE to more than 250 million people. That’s how the un-carrier rolls out 4G LTE.”