In the midst of a pandemic, T-Mobile has chosen to invest over $9.3 billion in the recently conducted C-Band auction by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). As a result, the company has been able to acquire additional mid-spectrum that can further their 5G leadership in the country. 

Today, T-Mobile’s 5G network covers 287 million people with Extended Range 5G and 125 million people with Ultra Capacity 5G. Their goal is to cover 200 million people with Ultra Capacity 5G this year, before their rivals even get to start deploying mid-band 5G. 

As expressed by T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert:

“T-Mobile customers are the clear winners in this auction. Our already industry-leading 5G network enabled us to be highly selective and strategic, concentrating our wins in top markets nationwide.”

“As I predicted last fall, the other guys spent an unbelievable amount — because they had to. And even then, the truth is that C-Band is best for urban areas because it doesn’t propagate as well as T-Mobile’s substantial existing mid-band frequencies. For us, C-Band makes a great story even better, and we are incredibly pleased with our clear success in this auction. Our competitors had no choice but to go all in with a break-the-bank attempt to remain relevant in the 5G era.”

The executive believes that its two biggest rivals, AT&T and Verizon, “bet on the wrong horse — went all in on millimeter wave.” And because of this mistake, Sievert believes that the two are “now scrambling” and “writing big checks … to try to catch up.”

The executive shares that unlike its competitors, the Un-Carrier is getting ready to deploy Ultra Capacity 5G nationwide. 

In the recently conducted auction, T-Mobile was able to score an average of 40 MHz of C-Band in key areas that cover around 225 million people. This win will add to the strong Ultra Capacity 5G network of T-Mobile, which will improve its speed and performance. Compared to the 2.5GHz mid-band spectrum that T-Mobile is using primarily for its Ultra Capacity 5G, C-Band will be able to travel further. With its investment in C-Band, T-Mobile believes that it will be able to supplement its 2.5GHz spectrum in areas with a dense network. 

As of this writing, T-Mobile is the only carrier that delivers standalone 5G and 5G Carrier Aggregation, two innovations that expand its 5G coverage, improve network response times, and combine different layers of capacity for greater speed and performance. Comparing this with millimeter wave owned by its rivals, there are some advantages. Even though millimeter wave can offer fast speeds, it is generally limited to a few outdoor areas in key cities.  

And this is why T-Mobile firmly believes that they continue to be the leader in 5G network in the country. 

Source: T-Mobile