If you’re wondering what 5G UC on the top of your phone means, you’re not alone. Simply put, 5G UC is T-Mobile’s “Ultra Capacity” 5G network. So if you see this, it means you’re connected to T-Mobile’s 5G network. At the same time, he may have also heard of 5G UW, a similar network protocol from Verizon.
Ultimately, being on a 5G UC network should mean you get the best possible speeds. However, without a solid understanding of what 5G is and how these networks work, you may not be able to get the most out of your phone. Here’s what you need to know about the 5G UC icon and how to get the most out of it.
T-Mobile’s 5G UC
T-Mobile is the first carrier to boast 5G coverage in all 50 states, and it accomplished this by using the low-band 600MHz frequency. Although this frequency has a wide range of reach, it does not offer as much bandwidth as older 4G/LTE technologies. . Still, this turned out to be a wise choice, as T-Mobile was able to light up his 5G icon on even more customers’ smartphones.
But as it becomes clearer that 5G has the potential to revolutionize global communications, the FCC has begun reallocating and opening up new midrange spectrum that can handle more 5G traffic and deliver faster speeds. I did. This started a new turf war between airlines. Not only did they have to bid to acquire new spectrum, but they also had to bid on it faster to beat rivals in building better 5G services in hopes of attracting more customers. had to be introduced. This has led carriers to develop their own brand of enhanced 5G. T-Mobile calls the enhanced network 5G Ultra Capacity (5G UC). This is why you see this symbol on your smartphone today.
So what exactly is 5G UC?
5G Ultra Capacity is the brand name for T-Mobile’s mid-band and high-band 5G network, which operates primarily at a frequency of 2.5 GHz, with additional capacity from 24 to 39 GHz in some high-density areas. . This differs from T-Mobile’s Extended Range 5G, which only operates on the lowest 600MHz frequency.
This enhanced 5G service is represented by a “5G UC” icon on most smartphones, but this is not always the case. Your phone’s operating system must support icons, so if you have an older iPhone or Android device, you may not see them. If your phone supports his 5G UC icon, a plain 5G icon indicates that you are using the slower Extended Range 5G.
This enhanced 5G service is represented by a “5G UC” icon on most smartphones.
T-Mobile’s enhanced 5G branding also arrived later than its competitors. Verizon started offering 5G UW icons with the release of the first 5G-enabled iPhone lineup in late 2020, but T-Mobile didn’t offer custom icons until a year later, starting with iOS 15 in September 2021. It will start and then apply to other smartphones as Android updates are rolled out with new icons.
Note that T-Mobile’s 5G Ultra Capacity network launched a long time ago. It just took some time to add a custom icon. Even before September 2021, many T-Mobile customers still had enhanced 5G service. It just didn’t have a special icon to show it.
Some carriers also have brand names for unenhanced low-band 5G services. For Verizon, it’s 5G Nationalization, while T-Mobile uses “5G Extended Range.” Only AT&T uses regular “5G,” but its enhanced network is called “5G Plus,” so this fits.
Mix of midrange and C band
Each carrier uses its own brand for its enhanced 5G services, but they all essentially mean the same thing. If you see these, it means your device is using the faster mid-band and high-band 5G frequencies.
What’s somewhat ironic is that T-Mobile’s 5G UC branding was much slower than Verizon and AT&T, as T-Mobile got off to a healthy start against its rivals. The company’s mid-band 5G network was in place more than a year before other companies could even switch on their first mid-band 5G towers. Thanks to his 2020 merger with Sprint, other carriers could license his 2.5GHz spectrum, which he used for 4G/LTE deployments and some of his early 5G networks. It’s done. T-Mobile wasted no time in decommissioning these Sprint towers and reusing their spectrum. Just three weeks after completing the merger, he officially launched his 5G Ultra Capacity network in Philadelphia.
5G Ultra Capacity still primarily operates on the 2.5 GHz frequency, but also on some higher mmWave frequencies, specifically bands n258, n260, and n261, which cover 24 GHz, 39 GHz, and 28 GHz, respectively. It contains.
However, unlike Verizon, T-Mobile primarily uses them to provide service at venues such as stadiums, concert halls, and airports where large numbers of subscribers are likely to gather. For T-Mobile, mmWave is about capacity, not speed. Carriers have more creative ways to achieve multi-gigabit speeds using longer-range, mid-band frequencies.
T-Mobile also paid $9.3 billion to acquire some of the 3.7GHz C-band spectrum in the 2021 auction. Although this is not yet operational, higher frequencies can provide more capacity without sacrificing too much range, so carriers are using this additional spectrum to We are planning to strengthen our 2.5GHz coverage.
Recently, carriers have repurposed some old 1.9GHz PCS spectrum for 5G UC networks. These frequencies were used by T-Mobile’s predecessor, VoiceStream Wireless PCS, for 2G and 3G services and were maintained for backward compatibility. But as we say goodbye to the last 3G networks, these frequencies are being freed up for use in his 5G.
T-Mobile currently boasts ultra-capacity 5G coverage of more than 260 million people, or more than 75% of the U.S. population. The company plans to expand this to 300 million by the end of 2023.
5G UC and 5G UW
The above numbers mean that T-Mobile customers are much more likely to see a 5G UC icon on their phones than Verizon or AT&T customers.
Verizon’s original 5G Ultra Wideband network included only mmWave coverage, and getting a 5G UW icon was like panning for gold. But in early 2022, Verizon finally got permission to turn on the C-band spectrum he spent $45 billion to acquire. This will become part of the company’s 5G UW network, expanding the coverage of the service to 1,700 million people in 1,700 cities. Previously, 5G UW was limited to the core downtown areas of approximately 82 cities.
AT&T has taken a much slower, more conservative approach, rolling out 5G Plus service to only a handful of cities. AT&T may simply be biding its time. While it dropped $23 billion in the first C-band auction of 2021, it also grabbed a less contentious piece of the pie: 40MHz of spectrum in the 3.45-3.55GHz band, which should spook the airline industry. We plan to start using it later this year.
Nevertheless, T-Mobile still has a big lead thanks to its two-year head start and aggressive stance on rolling out 5G services. To be clear, T-Mobile’s network does not inherently offer fast performance. You’ll find that your download speeds are the same whether you’re using T-Mobile’s 5G UC or Verizon’s 5G UW. Rather, T-Mobile has four performances. Double your coverage.
Statistically, this dramatically increases the carrier’s score for average download speeds across the country, making it the top carrier in 46 states by a wide margin. However, there’s more to this than just a statistic. T-Mobile customers are much more likely to stay on the carrier’s 5G UC network, so they can enjoy these fastest 5G speeds more often than Verizon or AT&T customers.
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