T-Mobile USA finally switches on 3G

After a bit of rumour mongering, it seems T-Mobile is finally ready to show off its shiny new 3G network, which has now gone live in New York. Only a few years behind the rest of the world, then. There’s no HSDPA handsets available for the network ye either, although T-Mobile is promising they’ll be along soon.

It’s also still got an eye on its wi-fi business: in the press release talking up the 3G network, T-Mobile has promised it won’t get distracted by all this mobile telephony and will keep on adding new hotspots to its wi-fi network across the US.

Its approach to 3G data is a bit of an odd one: the operator said “T-Mobile expects its high-speed data network will be available in those cities where a majority of its subscribers currently use data services”. Surely, turning on 3G is just what’s needed to get more people using data? Holding off from turning on high-speed services doesn’t exactly seem to be the best way to get more T-Mobile customers ready to pay for mobile email and the like.