Not resting on its Sprint network laurels, T-Mobile buys a bunch of new 5G spectrum
Just when we thought that T-Mobile is sitting warm and cozy on the mid-band 5G spectrum it acquired when it merged with Sprint and which gave it an early 5G edge over the other two big American carriers, the FCC disclosed that T-Mobile is amassing even more now.
It's in the trendy C-band spectrum that Verizon and AT&T have been fighting over in the past year or so, aiming to catch up to T-Mobile quickly. The auction was held in November and the FCC just disclosed who bought what in the third-largest spectrum bidding in its history.
AT&T made out like a bandit with the whopping $9 billion in spending on the midrange 3.45GHz-3.55GHz band section. It was followed by DISH whose 5G spectrum haul was $7.3 billion worth, and then T-Mobile with the more modest but still significant $2.9 billion.
It looks like T-Mobile is just trying to plug any holes it doesn't already have in its mid-band coverage and can afford to spend much less than the rest of the carriers with the exception of Verizon which was missing from the auction, as it already snatched a bunch in the 3.7GHz section during the previous FCC auctions. According to the FCC Chair Rosenworcel:
Today’s 3.45 GHz auction results demonstrate that the commission’s pivot to mid-band spectrum for 5G was the right move. I am pleased to see that this auction also is creating opportunities for a wider variety of competitors, including small businesses and rural service providers. This is a direct result of the Commission’s efforts to structure this auction with diversity and competition front of mind.
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