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T-Mobile puts Verizon and AT&T to shame with a couple of big new 5G announcements

By Adrian Diaconescu

Published: Dec 10, 2020, 4:13 PM

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T-Mobile puts Verizon and AT&T to shame with a couple of big new 5G announcements

Given T-Mobile's incredible early lead over its wireless industry arch-rivals in terms of both low-band 5G deployments and mid-band network upgrades, it might come as a shock to hear the "Un-carrier" is only now launching its first-ever 5G-enabled mobile hotspot.

In comparison, Verizon already sells two different models, one of which made its commercial debut almost 18 months ago, while AT&T's rookie 5G hotspot effort (for everyday consumers) was officially released this fall.

An affordable device and some game-changing new plans

Unsurprisingly, Magenta is out for blood with the Inseego 5G MiFi M2000, which you can buy in physical stores as well as online in exchange for a measly $168 (or $7 a month for two years) after bill credits when adding a line to an existing account.

The blazing fast hotspot is capable of keeping up to 30 devices connected to T-Mo's "Extended Range" and "Ultra Capacity" 5G networks simultaneously for a maximum of 24 hours on a single 5,050mAh battery charge, normally fetching a fairly reasonable $336. That undercuts both Verizon's MiFi M2100 5G UW and the AT&T-exclusive Netgear Nighthawk 5G Mobile Hotspot Pro, but it's actually not today's biggest T-Mobile news.

That's because the nation's second-largest wireless service provider is also unveiling some crazy cheap standalone hotspot plans to go with the Inseego 5G MiFi M2000, starting at just $20 a month (with autopay) for 5 gigs of mobile internet data from December 13.

Doubling that cap will only set you back an extra 10 bucks, while $40 and $50 can get you 30 and 100GB (!!!) data respectively every month. In case you're wondering how the competition stacks up against this insanely aggressive new pricing structure, T-Mobile has put together a nifty chart that's worth way more than a thousand words, reminding us all that Verizon and AT&T don't really care about hotspot users at a time when many people are still forced to rely on home connectivity solutions for both work and entertainment purposes.

Ultra Capacity 5G on an increasingly "ultra" scale

T-Mo is also touting "thousands" of upgrades taking place "this month" on its Ultra Capacity 5G network, which appears to be the new marketing name for that game-changing mid-band technology we've been hearing so much about since the completion of the operator's Sprint takeover.

Unfortunately, we don't get a list of places where mid-band rollouts are to be expected by the end of the year, although T-Mobile's head honchos did repeatedly claim of late that this "Ultra Capacity" 5G signal is ready for an expansion to a grand total of 100 million people in 2020, followed by a doubling of that already remarkable number by the end of 2021.

The Extended Range branding seems to be new as well, at least as far as Magenta's 5G technologies are concerned, describing the "nationwide" low-band foundation of a rapidly spreading network that's currently putting both Big Red and Ma Bell to shame and could continue to do so for, well, eternity.

Interestingly, T-Mobile used the Extended Range label in the past to hype up an improved LTE signal that essentially worked as a precursor to the 5G rollout kicked off a year and a few days ago. That's a little unimaginative, but you know what they say about trying to fix what ain't broke.

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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.