T-Mobile USA has expanded its HSPA+ network beyond the testbed of Philadelphia, with the US operator having switched on the technology in New York and areas surrounding Washington DC and prepping launch in more than 100 markets by the end of the year. This year it will also add Los Angeles and other cities, according to the Wall Street Journal. “Pretty much half that footprint will be in place by midyear,” said Neville Ray, T-Mobile USA’s senior vice president of engineering and operations.

T-Mobile USA has been something of a laggard in the US operator race to deploy fast mobile broadband networks, trailing developments from rivals AT&T, Sprint and Verizon. However, its efforts to deploy HSPA+ technology – promising theoretical peak download rates of 21 Mb/s – will strengthen its offering. To date only one device is compatible with T-Mobile’s new faster network; the Rocket USB Laptop Stick. Rival AT&T is currently prepping deployment of HSPA 7.2 Mb/s technology and will next year launch LTE (the next step on from HSPA+). Verizon plans to launch LTE this year in 25 to 30 markets. Sprint has chosen WiMAX as its next-generation technology of choice. T-Mobile USA is expected to move to LTE eventually.