T-Mobile, the fourth-largest carrier in the US, has announced that it will launch its 4G LTE network in late March. The carrier is the last of the four popular US carriers to launch the network upgrades, saying it plans to cover 200 million people by the end of the year. Verizon leads with 275 million people covered 

T-Mobile will kick-off its 4G LTE launch with the BlackBerry Z10 and Samsung Galaxy Note II. The Z10 will be launching on the carrier this month, while the Galaxy Note II has been seeded a software update to turn on the LTE feature.

Laptop Magazine has tested the network early, and says it reached 58 Mbps on the download stream and 25 Mbps on the upload stream - but that could change as more people jump on the network.

T-Mobile is being ambitious in 2013, after its failed merger with AT&T. The company is holding a media event on 26 March in New York, where it is expected to announce new value plans. With these new plans, customers won't have to sign a two-year contract, and instead pay month to month, a rarity among US carriers. A leak from TmoNews indicates that pricing will begin at $50 for unlimited talk, text and web. 

There is also the chance that T-Mobile might launch Apple's iPhone at the event. Late last year, Apple and T-Mobile announced plans to carry Apple products in 2013. Further details still haven't been provided, but now might be the time as its LTE network launches.

Could this be the year for T-Mobile's turnaround?