While late to the game in announcing what it’s next-generation network would look like, the nation’s fourth largest carrier has announced that it will settle on Long Term HSPA Evolution, or LTHE, to remain competitive with faster mobile broadband networks that are claiming 4G speeds. LTHE will be adopted by T-Mobile USA, and will be deployed by 2013, according to the carrier and Nokia Siemens Networks, which will build the infrastructure to support a theoretical peak data rate of 672 Mbps. LTHE will be T-Mobile’s answer to rival AT&T’s and Verizon’s LTE protocol for 4G as well as Sprint’s WiMax network, and will be faster than the carrier’s current HSPA+ network. The HSPA-derivative will continue to evolve in parallel to LTE and LTE Advanced. T-Mobile still has not indicated if it will support LTE in the future, but for now, a network capable of a theoretical max speed of 672 Mbps doesn’t sound shabby at all. To accomplish this, the carrier would have to allow data downloads from multiple base stations at the same time.