T-Mobile US has accelerated its proposed 5G rollout strategy, and now expects to cover 200 million people with its 600MHz 5G network by the end of this year. While an exact launch date has not been disclosed, the mobile giant claims that it has ‘thousands of 5G-ready towers and cell sites’ following a two-year deployment. John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile US, commented: ‘5G is the most transformative technology of our lifetime – faster speeds, better coverage, real-time responses, more connections. It’ll dramatically change our mobile experience, fuel brand new experiences and drive billions in economic growth and jobs, but only if everyone can get access to broad, deep 5G.’
In July this year T-Mobile completed its first 600MHz 5G data session test, using a Qualcomm Snapdragon X55 5G modem and commercial 5G Ericsson Radio System equipment at its lab in Bellevue, Washington. In 2017 T-Mobile paid USD7.993 billion for a total of 1,525 regional 600MHz licences and has already used the spectrum to support its ‘Extended Range LTE’ service.