- T-Mobile (NASDAQ:TMUS) has quietly confirmed that it has an active 5G network in 30 cities, Light Reading reports, after questioning the carrier about its pledge to do so by the end of 2018.
- But the news is quiet because the company says it won't offer commercial services on the network until 5G smartphones are available -- likely the beginning of next year.
- Without more details, it's hard to know whether the networks are robust or only a few sites as proof of concept, Mike Dano notes.
- But its timeline is closely enough aligned with efforts from key rivals AT&T (NYSE:T) and Verizon (NYSE:VZ), with particular service launch dates still vague.
- T-Mobile is the only major carrier planning to launch its 5G services on 600 MHz spectrum, ideal for long ranges but not optimized for data speed like the 28 GHz and 39 GHz frequencies (which will also be part of T-Mobile's approach).
- Shares fell 1.6% during the regular session and are up 1.5% after hours.
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Original article