T-Mobile extends 5G lead, 200 million covered by mid-band ahead of schedule

Source: Samuel Contreras / Android Central

T-Mobile has been aggressively expanding its 5G coverage throughout 2021 with the ambitious goal of covering 200 million people with its Ultra Capacity mid-band 5G by the end of the year. T-Mobile announced that it has achieved its goal weeks ahead of schedule, further extending its 5G lead. This is supplementary to T-Mobile’s low-band Extended Range 5G, which covers 308 million people.

T-Mobile’s mid-band dominance is driven by its access to the 2.5GHz spectrum it got from its purchase of Sprint. This has allowed T-Mobile to charge ahead with 5G while competitors AT&T and Verizon await the availability of the C-band spectrum expected to become available in early 2022.

T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert said the following in a statement regarding the carrier’s achievement:

We’re delivering game-changing Ultra Capacity 5G to people across the country at an unprecedented pace, putting us in a network leadership position with a two-year head start on the competition. And that gap is only getting wider as we speed up.

Only T-Mobile is delivering a 5G network capable of truly transforming the smartphone experience – 5G’s first killer app – and that’s just the beginning. With Ultra Capacity 5G nationwide, we’re unleashing innovators across the country to build new 5G applications that will change the world.

On top of reaching its coverage goal, T-Mobile has also been named as the fastest carrier in four cities in a report by Umlaut and commissioned by T-Mobile. In Cincinnati, Cleveland, Orlando, and Salt Lake City, T-Mobile’s network outperformed the competition for download speeds. In two of these cities, T-Mobile has the highest 5G availability with 91% and 95% availability in the two it fell short.

T-Mobile’s plans all come with access to 5G, making them some of the best cell phone plans you can get. T-Mobile’s leadership in 5G coverage has also allowed the carrier to expand into new services such as home internet connections. Its mobile plans and home internet service have helped T-Mobile to become the clear 5G leader whether you’re in an urban, suburban, or rural area.