T-Mobile has shown just how fast 5G is by launching its new network four days early

T-Mobile 5G map
(Image credit: T-Mobile)

T-Mobile just jumped ahead of schedule by launching its 5G network, meaning you won't have to wait until the planned December 6 date to test it out. 

The move coincides with the debut of the specialized OnePlus 7T Pro 5G McLaren Edition phone, which joins the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G and Galaxy S10 5G as the first of T-Mobile's 5G phones to be available starting today.

T-Mobile announced in the launch with press release and a goofy video shared by CEO John Legere on Twitter.

T-Mobile boasts that the difference between its 5G network and those from competing networks like Sprint 5G and Verizon 5G is the wider coverage map. It's able to offer broader coverage because the company is using the 600MHz spectrum for the foundation of its 5G network.

While Sprint's and Verizon's 5G networks are available in select cities, with coverage further limited by the employed spectrum's ability to penetrate buildings (a weakness we experienced in our testing, especially with Verizon), T-Mobile claims its 5G network now covers one million square miles and 60% of the US population.

T-Mobile 5G coverage map NYC

T-Mobile's 5G coverage map for the New York area (Image credit: T-Mobile)

The T-Mobile 5G coverage maps and trade-offs

There are trade-offs to the broader T-Mobile coverage maps. Its newly deployed 5G network operates only on that low-band 600MHz frequency right now, which means it doesn't offer the same insane data throughput we've seen from Verizon's mmWave in our 5G speed test

In fact, in its press release, the word "fast" isn't even mentioned, and "speed" is mentioned only once. Until the merger between Sprint and T-Mobile goes through, T-Mobile may not be able to compete with the others in terms of speed.

But T-Mobile has teased that faster 5G. The end of the launch video hints at the "New T-Mobile 5G" network that would be enabled through the carrier's merger with Sprint and integration of mid-band spectrum.

T-Mobile is offering its 5G service in a number of forms, from its unlimited plans to pre-paid options. The high-end devices from OnePlus and Samsung are also just the start, it says. The official plans are to offer 15 more 5G phones in 2020.

Via: Engadget

Mark Knapp

Over the last several years, Mark has been tasked as a writer, an editor, and a manager, interacting with published content from all angles. He is intimately familiar with the editorial process from the inception of an article idea, through the iterative process, past publishing, and down the road into performance analysis.

Latest in T-Mobile
T-Mobile went down – everything we know about this network outage
Ryan Reynolds kneeling over a star
With T-Mobile aiming for control, is Mint Mobile still the best wireless bargain?
Un-carrier On
T-Mobile rolled out a hot magenta smart suitcase, and I want it
Renovated Headquarters
T-Mobile tempts Apple iPhone owners to switch using an app
T-Mobile and Starlink launch event
This is why I want T-Mobile and Starlink's out-of-this-world satellite phone plan
T-Mobile 5G map
T-Mobile has shown just how fast 5G is by launching its new network four days early
Latest in News
Pro-Ject A1.2 in black, playing a vinyl record in a hi-fi listening room
Pro-Ject's new fully-automatic turntable could be the buy of Record Store Day 2025
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet reportedly won't release until after 2026, as Neil Druckmann says that staff 'are playing it at the office' right now - but I don't think I can wait that long
Screenshot from action RPG soulslike Lies of P
Lies of P Overture won't elaborate on the game's eyebrow-raising post-credits twist, and I think that's good news
Nintendo Switch 2
The Switch 2 launching with a Mario Kart game 'is very unlike Nintendo' compared to the original Switch releasing with Breath of the Wild, says former marketing leads: 'That's what's gonna make you want to buy the new hardware'
Kindle de Amazon
The latest Kindle update finally fixes page turning – and adds the perfect reading tool for my sieve-like brain
Waze voice control
Waze is ditching Google Assistant for Gemini on iOS, and for good reasons