T-Mobile was previously blocked from using the radio spectrum it purchased.
Back in 2022, T-Mobile won spectrum in the FCC’s Auction 108. This spectrum could be used to power the company’s 5G infrastructure across the country. But T-Mobile couldn’t actually use it due to legal technicalities. Congress revoked the FCC’s authority to auction spectrum before it granted T-Mobile a license to use the spectrum it owned. This issue was resolved a while ago, and T-Mobile is now actually deploying the spectrum it has been aiming to deploy for almost two years.
T-Mobile has announced that it will finally roll out new spectrum offered as part of the license it has long sought to obtain. The spectrum itself is 2.5 GHz spectrum and will help T-Mobile expand 5G’s reach and performance, especially in rural areas that are currently underserved. This benefits millions of customers across the country. The new spectrum will cover approximately 60 million customers and its range will span 300,000 square miles. Most of the spectrum is expected to be activated within days, with the remaining areas covered as new towers are built.
T-Mobile emphasizes that nearly all customers in the U.S. will experience improved performance through better coverage at home or in the places they visit. The company cites Louisiana and Pennsylvania as specific examples, highlighting that more than 1.7 million people and 2.2 million people benefited, respectively. According to T-Mobile, approximately 80 million people live in the areas where this new spectrum is being lit, and this should actually result in significant improvements and benefits for much of the country. Most of the new spectrum seems to be deployed in the eastern part of the country, but this is sure to be a nationwide rollout, so you’ll still get better 5G signals and speeds on either your phone or your 5G home internet router. There is a possibility. .
If you want to check out the new spectrum, you’ll have to wait until T-Mobile finishes lighting up the spectrum. Some are already live as of this writing, but it will take a few days for T-Mobile to roll them out to everyone.
Source: T-Mobile
