T-Mobile details LTE plans, HSPA+ 84 also a possibility

A while back we mentioned that T-Mobile would finally be joining the list of carriers that provide 4G LTE, although that particular service is only expected to be made available come 2013. Admittedly they are a bit late to the party, but T-Mobile’s CTO, Neville Ray, did not seem particularly concerned in a statement the carrier issued:

“Not at all. As we roll out LTE in 2013, we have the advantage of coming to market at a time when the price points on LTE devices and network infrastructure will be coming down and the performance of LTE devices and network infrastructure will be improving. We plan to deploy LTE release 10 compatible equipment, so we’ll be well-positioned and ready to move to LTE Advanced.”

So what will become of T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network? For subscribers who might be worried that the carrier would abandon the HSPA+ network, fret not as it seems that T-Mobile has no such plans and could eventually upgrade their HSPA+ network to a HSPA+ 84 network in the future, although they have not confirmed anything at the moment.

“The evolution of HSPA+ is still an opportunity for us and offering HSPA+ 84 (84Mbps theoretical download speeds) is something we’ll continue to evaluate because the capability is there in the network. That said, our priority now is preparing our network for LTE in 2013. But, in the long run, I would like to see both technologies advance.”

So, what do you guys think? Will this help to boost T-Mobile’s standing?