Houston.. Houston … The Rocket will be launched on March 14th!

T-Mobile announced that the webConnect Rocket USB Laptop Stick, the first HSPA+ device for the U.S., will be available beginning on Sunday, March 14. HSPA+ is interesting because it could enable 4G LTE-like speeds using existing 3G infrastructure.

The device is branded the WebConnect Rocket USB Laptop Stick, and will initially be sold in Philadelphia, where TMo has recently upgraded to the 7.2Mbps iteration of HSPA. While AT&T is avoiding the HSPA+ step, planning to move straight to LTE from 2011 onwards, T-Mobile does not have new spectrum for 4G and is set to pursue a longer HSPA+ path, possibly topped up with a WiMAX or LTE partnership with a spectrum holder like Clearwire.

The webConnect Rocket USB Laptop Stick retails for $99.99 with a two-year contract and an Even More webConnect data plan. $60 per month gets you 5GB, while $30 gets you just 200MB; both charge 20 cents per megabyte over that. Another new option, Even More Plus webConnect, drops the annual contract and lowers the monthly prices by $10 in each case, but raises the up-front price of the modem.

Features after the jump

Specifications
Dimensions of handset	3.4 x 1.1 x 0.53 inches
Memory	Internal RAM: 64 MB Internal ROM: 128 MB External memory: 8 GB External memory card type supported: Micro SDHC
Frequency bands	GSM: 850; 900; 1800; 1900 3G (UMTS): 1700, 2100
Phone book capacity	Number of entries: Up to 1000
Weight	1.1 ounces
Connectivity
3G	Yes UMTS Release Version: R5 HSPA+: Yes
EDGE	Class: 12
GPRS	Class: 10
Processor model	ARM9
Platform and version	MDM8200
SynchML DM – FOTA	No
TAB (T-Mobile Address Book) or Mobile Backup	No
LBS (Location Base Services)	Yes
USB file transfer capability	Yes
USB mass storage	Yes
USB connector	MIcro USB
Wi-Fi	No; there is the ability to connect to Wi-Fi through webConnect Manager.
Messaging
text messaging	Yes