5G Gains US Foothold in 2019

As the year comes to a close it’s important to note that 5G became a bonafide reality in 2019. All four of the nationwide operators in the United States have now deployed 5G services, and the country’s largest regional carrier plans to join the party in the first quarter of 2020. As the year comes to a close it’s important to note that 5G became a bonafide reality in 2019. All four of the nationwide operators in the United States have now deployed 5G services, and the country’s largest regional carrier plans to join the party in the first quarter of 2020. 5G is available from sea to shining sea — with large pockets of 4G LTE remaining in between.  T-Mobile US gets the nod for the country’s largest 5G network to date. It was also the last of the big four carriers to deploy 5G when it activated service running on millimeter-wave (mmWave) spectrum in six cities. Earlier this month, T-Mobile US leapfrogged all of its competitors with a nationwide 5G network running on 600 MHz spectrum. The operator’s low-band 5G network covers about 200 million people, or about 61% of the total population, spanning a geographic range of more than 1 million square miles. T-Mobile’s 5G network is now live in more than 5,000 cities and towns, including many lightly populated rural areas of the country. In California, for example, the operator has robust 5G service in the most northern coastal regions of the state, but there is absolutely no 5G service in the Bay Area and its surrounding counties. For San Jose, San Francisco, and Sacramento — the state’s third, fourth, and sixth most populated cities, respectively — 4G LTE is as good as it gets on T-Mobile US. AT&T’s 5G story is convoluted and full of caveats. It was the first U.S. operator to deploy a standards-based mobile 5G network but service was exclusively limited to business customers for almost a year. Earlier this month, AT&T made 5G service available to consumers in 13 cities on low-band spectrum The operator’s bifurcated approach to 5G continues, however, with business customers benefiting from access to 5G in 23 cities. AT&T says its 5G network will reach parts of 30 cities in early 2020, and it remains committed to offering nationwide 5G coverage in the first half of next year. AT&T’s 5G strategy has also created confusion in the market because of its controversial decision to label advanced LTE services as “5G E” in some cities, while reserving “5G” branding for 5G service running on low-band spectrum, and “5G+” for service running on mmWave spectrum. For a few months, Sprint enjoyed a market-leading position on 5G that temporarily placed the company on a level it hasn’t experienced in many years. When it made good on its promise to bring 5G service to nine markets it had the most robust 5G network in the country. Sprint’s mid-band spectrum holdings in the 2.5 GHz band, which factor heavily into T-Mobile US’ desire to acquire the company, enabled it provide more pervasive coverage than its competitors that initially relied on mmWave spectrum for 5G. That lead has vanished, and there is no indication that Sprint plans to expand its 5G footprint. The operator’s 5G network covers about 2,100 square miles and up to 11 million people. With barely a week to spare, Verizon has made good on its promise to make 5G service available in at least 30 markets before the end of the year. The operator’s 5G network is now available in 31 cities, including 15 National Football League stadiums and the first U.S. airport with 5G. Verizon was the first domestic operator to launch a 5G service, but it was powered by a 5G technology created by a Verizon-led tech forum and not the normal standards bodies. Despite a period of feverish activity in the final weeks of the year, Verizon executives have been cautious about 5G network expansion plans. Verizon’s 5G network is thus far exclusively running on mmWave spectrum, which limits the operator’s ability to provide pervasive and reliable coverage. It has continued to improve and expand coverage in some markets, but even as it boasted its activation of 5G at the John Glenn Columbus International Airport in Columbus, Ohio, it noted that coverage is only available in parts of the airport’s main ticketing area. “Parts of” is a common refrain when operators announce 5G deployments. It’s an unavoidable given for networks that ride entirely on high-band spectrum, which transmits data at the highest speeds but also within the lowest coverage radius. Regional operator U.S. Cellular says it will begin deploying 5G service on its 600 MHz spectrum in the first quarter of 2020 for residents in parts of Iowa and Wisconsin. The operator hasn’t committed to a date for delivering 5G across its entire network, but says it plans to reach as many of its customers as possible during the “coming years.” Canadian operators are decidedly less eager or motivated to jump on the 5G train. Nationwide 5G deployments aren’t expected until 2021, but early launches will get underway in 2020. The country is at least 12 to 18 months behind the United States on 5G. Canadian regulators are planning multiple spectrum auctions over the next several years, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has postponed a decision on whether to allow operators to use Huawei equipment in their 5G networks.