T-Mobile Launches the First Nationwide 5G Network Service in the US

On Monday, telecommunications company T-Mobile has officially flipped the switch on its 5G network service. It is considered the first nationwide 5G network in the United States and the first prepaid 5G with Metro offering as well.

However, out of the 200 million people covered by the said Internet service, no one has tried or been able to use it — at least not yet.

T-Mobile is yet to release its first two smartphones that support 5G on Friday: the OnePlus 7T Pro 5G McLaren and Samsung Galaxy Note10+ 5G.

People can now pre-order the two 5G superphones online. However, T-Mobile stores will only start accepting orders starting December 6th.

According to the company, both phones can tap into the Un-carrier’s 600 MHz 5G network when it’s available and T-Mobile’s advanced nationwide LTE network elsewhere.

John Legere, T-Mobile’s CEO, was quoted as saying:

“5G is here on a nationwide scale. This is a HUGE step towards 5G for all. While Dumb and Dumber focus on 5G for the (wealthy) Few, launching in just a handful of cities — and forcing customers into their most expensive plans to get 5G — we’re committed to building broad, deep nationwide 5G that people and businesses can access at no extra cost with the New T-Mobile … and today is just the start of that journey.”

T-Mobile 5G Network Service

T-Mobile’s 5G network service relies on a slower form of 5G in the company’s 600 MHz spectrum.

This low-band 5G network uses the same airwaves as LTE. However, the network is boosted by another technology that enables it to offer faster speeds and expand its coverage.

Unlike Verizon and AT&T‘s 5G networks that work only in select cities at the moment, T-Mobile’s 5G network service covers over 60% of the population across more than 1 million square miles, the majority of which is in rural America.

Neville Ray, T-Mobile President of Technology, said:

“We built 5G that works for more people in more places, and this is just the start. With the New T-Mobile, we’ll see 5G speeds follow the same path as LTE, increasing exponentially over time. Plus, real broad and deep 5G will unleash whole new categories of innovation that will touch almost every area of the economy. The 5G future is bright, and it starts today.”