BELLEVUE, Wash.—In a development that could have implications for fixed wireless speeds and 5G broadcasting, T-Mobile has announced a successful test that leveraged 5G standalone millimeter wave (mmWave) on its production network.
T-Mobile is calling the test results a U.S. 5G first.
Working with Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., T-Mobile aggregated eight channels of mmWave spectrum to reach download speeds topping 4.3 Gbps without relying on low-band or mid-band spectrum to anchor the connection. T-Mobile also aggregated four channels of mmWave spectrum on the uplink, reaching speeds above 420 Mbps.
5G mmWave can deliver incredibly fast speeds because it offers massive capacity. But the signal doesn’t travel very well through obstacles, making it less ideal for mobile phone users who aren’t sitting still.
To address that problem, T-Mobile has implemented a multi-band spectrum strategy using low-band to blanket the country and mid-band and high-band (Ultra Capacity) to deliver fast speeds to nearly everyone.
The 5G mmWave on 5G SA could be used in crowded areas like stadiums and, potentially, for fixed wireless service, T-Mobile said.
“We’ve been industry leaders – rolling out the first, largest and fastest 5G standalone network across the country – and now we’re continuing to push the boundaries of wireless technology,” said Ulf Ewaldsson, president of Technology at T-Mobile. “We’ve always said we’ll use millimeter wave where it makes sense, and this test allows us to see how the spectrum can be put to use in different situations like crowded venues or to power things like fixed-wireless access when combined with 5G standalone.”
T-Mobile’s 5G network covers more than 330 million people across two million square miles — more than AT&T and Verizon combined.
In addition about 300 million people nationwide are covered by T-Mobile’s super-fast Ultra Capacity 5G.
