T-Mobile boasts Puerto Rico network recovery, 'furious' nationwide 600 MHz expansion

by Adrian Diaconescu / Sep 10, 2018, 9:13 AM

T-Mobile boasts Puerto Rico network recovery, 'furious' nationwide 600 MHz expansion

Whether T-Mobile will succeed in its latest attempt to merge with Sprint or not, the “Un-carrier’s” solo efforts to break the US wireless industry duopoly are still chugging along, with 5G speeds and 600 MHz spectrum at the center of its strategy for beating rivals in infrastructure development.

After making its largest ever network investment back in April 2017, T-Mo began “furiously” deploying 600 MHz LTE technology nationwide, reaching a whopping 1,254 cities and towns in 36 states in total.

This low-band spectrum is not only good for LTE coverage in rural areas and buildings, the latter of which can get four times better signal than before, also “laying the foundations” for the upcoming 5G revolution.

T-Mobile is just about ready to light up (theoretical) 5G towers in no less than 30 cities, but you’ll obviously have to wait a couple more years to take advantage of the improved speeds and all other technological breakthroughs nationwide.

Perhaps the greatest thing the country’s third-largest wireless service provider has managed to do lately is rebuilding Puerto Rico’s network “better than new” following all the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria.

Believe it or not, T-Mobile sees Puerto Rico as a “future tech leader”, with 600 MHz Extended Range LTE already deployed even in the areas hit hardest by the hurricane, like Humacao, Utuado, Barranquitas, and Naranjito.

In case you’re wondering, the official list of 600 MHz-compatible phones also continues to grow, with an advertised total of 14 devices being already capable of accessing this Extended Range LTE spectrum. Curiously enough, we’ve only managed to count 13 on T-Mobile’s official website, although we’re guessing Samsung’s Galaxy Note 9 is omitted by mistake.

source: T-Mobile

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3 Comments

1. Soundjudgment

Posts: 370; Member since: Oct 10, 2016

Are the newest iPhones going to have that Band included this year...or next?

posted on Sep 10, 2018, 12:19 PM 1

2. Chris_ABN

Posts: 167; Member since: May 16, 2018

Probably not

posted on Sep 10, 2018, 3:53 PM 0

3. p51d007

Posts: 694; Member since: Nov 24, 2013

People sometimes wonder why all the TV stations in the USA, are changing their frequencies this/next year. THIS is the reason. The wireless carriers are EAGER to have those frequencies at "any" price and are willing to pay for it. So, the over the air tv stations have to go to a higher frequency, which means their over the air coverage will be smaller all because the move to have everything on your phone 24/7. Hey, I get it...most people have cable, internet-tv, satellite or don't even bother with local channels. The money is in the wireless carriers, not over the air television, so the FCC (government) makes a buck by auctioning it off to the carriers. That 600mhz spectrum is very valuable as are some of the lower frequencies.