The small but ambitious wireless carrier MetroPCS expanded its LTE coverage for high-speed access Wednesday, adding New York, Sacramento and Boston to its network. Last month the Dallas-based company launched the first commercial LTE network in the U.S. in Dallas/Fort Worth, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia. (Sprint Nextel and Clearwire use a high-speed standard called WiMAX, while T-Mobile uses HSPA+.)
The announcement comes 10 days after Verizon Wireless, the nation’s largest carrier by subscribers, opened its own LTE network to customers in 38 markets and 60 airports around the United States, with the goal of covering its current 3G footprint by 2013.
Crafty Phone
MetroPCS, the fifth-largest carrier after Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint, specializes in prepaid flat-fee plans and its 4G service, available only via the Samsung Craft, a feature phone it released in September, costs $55 per month. The Craft, with a 3.3-inch AMOLED screen and a slide-out keyboard, is available for $299 after a $50 instant rebate.
“As the only no-annual-contract, pay-in-advance wireless service provider offering 4G LTE services, we continue to build our network to allow more customers to experience our unparalleled value and flexible, affordable service,” said Roger D. Linquist, president, CEO and chairman of MetroPCS.
The Craft doesn’t run Android, Windows Mobile, or webOS, but has its own operating system. However, it has a browser and access to video and music via MetroSTUDIO and has a built-in social-networking application and navigation feature. A MetroPCS LTE-capable Android phone will be available in February, a spokesperson told PC magazine.
Going South
MetroPCS plans to expand its LTE system to Atlanta, Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando and Tampa early next year.
The company’s standard CDMA network is currently in 11,000 cities. Its emphasis on flat fees takes it in the opposite direction of Verizon and AT&T, which are moving toward tiered pricing to reduce data…