Design World

  • Home
  • Technologies
    • ELECTRONICS • ELECTRICAL
    • Fastening • joining
    • FLUID POWER
    • LINEAR MOTION
    • MOTION CONTROL
    • SENSORS
    • TEST & MEASUREMENT
    • Factory automation
    • Warehouse automation
    • DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
  • Learn
    • Tech Toolboxes
    • Learning center
    • eBooks • Tech Tips
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars • general engineering
    • Webinars • Automated warehousing
    • Voices
  • LEAP Awards
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
    • 2021 Winners
  • Design Guides
  • Resources
    • Subscribe
    • 3D Cad Models
      • PARTsolutions
      • TraceParts
    • Digital Issues
      • Design World
      • EE World
    • Educational Assets
    • Engineering diversity
    • Trends
  • Supplier Listings
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

T-Mobile Touts Launch of 4×4 MIMO, 256 QAM

By Diana Goovaerts | September 6, 2016

LTE-Advanced is so passé.

T-Mobile on Tuesday sought to one-up Verizon’s recent LTE-Advanced roll out with its launch of 4×4 Multiple Input, Multiple Output (MIMO) and 256 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM )for downloads.

According to T-Mobile, its new 4×4 MIMO technology is now available in 319 cities across the country. The Un-carrier said customers with the Samsung Galaxy S7 or S7 edge will be able to take advantage of the technology first via a software update coming later this month, but noted more phones will also support it soon.

In a blog post detailing the launch, T-Mobile CTO Neville Ray said 4×4 MIMO will offer customers double the speed by increasing the number of data paths between a cell site and a customer’s device.

T-Mobile on Tuesday also announced the launch of 256 QAM for downloads and 64 QAM for uploads. Ray said the technologies are already live in half of the Un-carrier’s network and will be live on every T-Mobile cell site in the nation by the end of October.

Ray said the QAM technology will increase speeds by boosting the number of bits delivered per transmission. As with 4×4 MIMO, customers on the S7 and S7 edge will get access to the upgraded technology first via a software update in October. Support on more devices is “on the way,” Ray said.

T-Mobile’s announcement came with more than a few shots at both Verizon and Sprint, who have been touting their launches and experiments with two- and three-channel carrier aggregation. Verizon last week announced the launch of two- and three-channel carrier aggregation on its LTE-Advanced network while Sprint has been heralding its progression from two- to three-channel carrier aggregation in a series of trial announcements.

“While carriers like to announce every. single. device. they test in the lab on new technologies, the Un-carrier acts,” Ray wrote. “We put new technology to work for our customers in the field, not in press releases.”

While Sprint and Verizon have both boasted peak speeds of around 300 mbps with three-channel carrier aggregation, Ray said the combination of T-Mobile’s 4×4 MIMO and 256 QAM technologies offers download speeds of up to 400 mbps.

Ray on Tuesday also said T-Mobile has expanded its coverage to nearly 312 million people or approximately 99.7 percent of those covered by Verizon.

You Might Also Like


Filed Under: Infrastructure

 

LEARNING CENTER

Design World Learning Center
“dw
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest info on technologies, tools and strategies for Design Engineering Professionals.
Motor University

Design World Digital Edition

cover

Browse the most current issue of Design World and back issues in an easy to use high quality format. Clip, share and download with the leading design engineering magazine today.

EDABoard the Forum for Electronics

Top global problem solving EE forum covering Microcontrollers, DSP, Networking, Analog and Digital Design, RF, Power Electronics, PCB Routing and much more

EDABoard: Forum for electronics

Sponsored Content

  • Widening the scope for machine tool designers with FORTiS™ enclosed encoder
  • Sustainability, Innovation and Safety, Central to Our Approach
  • Why off-highway is the sweet spot for AC electrification technology
  • Looking to 2025: Past Success Guides Future Achievements
  • North American Companies Seek Stronger Ties with Italian OEMs
  • Adapt and Evolve
View More >>
Engineering Exchange

The Engineering Exchange is a global educational networking community for engineers.

Connect, share, and learn today »

Design World
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Manage your Design World Subscription
  • Subscribe
  • Design World Digital Network
  • Control Engineering
  • Consulting-Specifying Engineer
  • Plant Engineering
  • Engineering White Papers
  • Leap Awards

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search Design World

  • Home
  • Technologies
    • ELECTRONICS • ELECTRICAL
    • Fastening • joining
    • FLUID POWER
    • LINEAR MOTION
    • MOTION CONTROL
    • SENSORS
    • TEST & MEASUREMENT
    • Factory automation
    • Warehouse automation
    • DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
  • Learn
    • Tech Toolboxes
    • Learning center
    • eBooks • Tech Tips
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars • general engineering
    • Webinars • Automated warehousing
    • Voices
  • LEAP Awards
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
    • 2021 Winners
  • Design Guides
  • Resources
    • Subscribe
    • 3D Cad Models
      • PARTsolutions
      • TraceParts
    • Digital Issues
      • Design World
      • EE World
    • Educational Assets
    • Engineering diversity
    • Trends
  • Supplier Listings
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
We use cookies to personalize content and ads, to provide social media features, and to analyze our traffic. We share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising, and analytics partners who may combine it with other information you’ve provided to them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services. You consent to our cookies if you continue to use this website.