Technology that only T-Mobile will implement this year will improve its 5G network
T-Mobile subscribers will benefit from the use of Nokia's 5G MIMO technology.
Nokia MIMO tech to improve T-Mobile's 5G service | Image by PhoneArena
MIMO isn't the name of that weird lady who rings you up at the bodega you frequent. It stands for Multiple Input-Multiple Output, and it is a type of technology found in modern networks such as 4G, 5G, and Wi-Fi. It uses multiple antennas at the source of the signal (cell tower or router) and the destination (your phone or computer).
This is what MIMO does
Instead of sending a signal using one single path from the tower to your phone, MIMO breaks down the data into smaller pieces, which are then sent through multiple paths. Even if these signals bounce off buildings, trees and walls, the multiple antennas on your phone put them together, creating a single high-speed data payload.
You might have seen us mention Massive MIMO in some past stories. This is used in 5G networks as hundreds of tiny antennas are packed in a single array. Instead of sending a weak signal out to all directions, Massive MIMO allows precise beams to be sent to individual user devices.
5G networks can use Massive MIMO
Massive MIMO increases network capacity, provides faster download data speeds, and improves the reliability of 5G signals in crowded urban areas without relying on the use of additional spectrum. There are also Multi-User MIMO (MU-MIMO) and Single-User MIMO (SU-MIMO). The latter sends all data streams from a cell tower or router to one device at a time, while Multi-User MIMO allows the cell tower or router to split its data streams and connect to multiple devices simultaneously.
Photo taken while SRG tested Zero-Forcing MU-MIMO. | Image by SRG
When Multi-User MIMO is employed to beam data on the same frequency to multiple smartphones simultaneously, the signal streams can cross, creating interference. Zero-Forcing (ZF) is a signal processing algorithm used by a base station or router that "forces" interference to zero.
Testing the new technology
In late April, Signals Research Group (SRG) President Michael Thelander and SRG Technology VP Emil Olbrich, tested multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) and single-user MIMO (SU-MIMO) with Nokia’s zero forcing technology. T-Mobile had told Thelander that it was testing this technology on a pre-commercial basis and had two teams of engineers helping SRG collect the data and offer network support.
SRG set up four Samsung Galaxy S25 handsets, each powered by a separate network configuration:
SU-MIMO (legacy network configuration)
MU-MIMO (legacy network configuration)
MU-MIMO with Zero-Forcing
SU-MIMO with sub-band beamforming.
What the test proved was that MU-MIMO with Zero-Forcing helps to cancel out inter-user interference. MU-MIMO with Zero-Forcing performs much better than the legacy setup, especially when smartphones are in proximity to each other.
The test showed double-digit improvements in throughput, leading to faster network speeds, zippier app performance as apps open faster, multitask seamlessly, and refresh instantly. The improvements in the test also eliminate bottlenecks, helping a phone's processor receive data faster. Thelander says that the double-digit increase was more than 20% comparing SU-MIMO to SU-MIMO or MU-MIMO to MU-MIMO.
T-Mobile will be the only one of the "Big 3" US carriers to use this technology
It is important to note that T-Mobile is not using this technology at the moment, although SRG expects the carrier to use it commercially later this year. A T-Mobile spokesman told Fierce
Network that the carrier will use this technology in areas with compatible Nokia infrastructure.
If and when T-Mobile does implement this technology, it will be the only one of the "Big 3" carriers (T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T) to have it because it is the only one to use Nokia infrastructure in its 5G network. This is good news for T-Mobile subscribers because it should result in improved 5G service for them.
There is no timeline as to when to expect T-Mobile to flick the switch and turn on the technology.
Popular stories
Latest News
Things that are NOT allowed:
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts: