T-Mobile just bought a ton of 600MHz Spectrum

[kate]

T-Mobile has bought a large amount of the 600 MHz band covering the entire US, it will be assigned band number 71. The low band provides better coverage indoors. They're saying some will be available later this year, will be interesting to see how long the full deployment takes.

Interactive map of new 600MHz spectrum bought by T-Mobile:
http://maps.spectrumgateway.com/t-mobile-600-mhz.html


From T-Mobile press release:
https://newsroom.t-mobile.com/news-and-blogs/tmobile-spectrum-auction-win.htm

"T-Mobile is also announcing they’ll put some of this new spectrum to use for both T-Mobile and MetroPCS customers this year, as a result of work started back in 2016. Already Ericsson and Nokia have announced availability of 600 MHz equipment that T-Mobile will use in its network, and the Un-carrier has 600 MHz licenses covering over one million square miles where T-Mobile expects at least 10 MHz to be clear this year – meaning T-Mobile’s network team can start working to light it up for customers."

 

[AnciusD]

Key point:
"In addition, Qualcomm is introducing chipsets supporting 600 MHz, and T-Mobile expects leading smartphone makers to begin delivering 600 MHz compatible phones as soon as this year."

"Of course, we’ll need phones that can utilize this new spectrum and I’m not sure there are any at the moment. Companies like Qualcomm will have to built out support in their modems and then push them into phones. T-Mobile thinks that’ll happen this year, though I’m skeptical it will be that quick. I’m hoping they prove me wrong, though."
http://www.droid-life.com/2017/04/13/tmobile-600mhz-spectrum-speeds-network-lte-verizon/

 

[kate]

I wont be surprised if a few of the first phones with band 71 are released later this year, but we wont see wide support until 2018.

 

[AnciusD]

Just in time for Black Friday / Christmas !!!

 

[Deleted User]

I've recently switched to Tmo, and with the addition of the cellspot device, my 4G LTE signal is better than Verizon or AT&T. I hope that "spectrum" comes to the Sarasota, Fl. area.

 

[kate]

I hope that "spectrum" comes to the Sarasota, Fl. area.

According to that map the Sarasota area has 20 + 20 MHz which is a good amount, just depends how long it takes T-Mobile to deploy there.

 

[WirelessWanderer]

We were just thinking of upgrading our 3rd Gen. Moto Gs to the latest, mainly to get Band 12, VoLTE and WiFi calling support. I think I'm going to go ahead. We already get mostly satisfactory coverage in and about our normal haunts. What we need is outstate coverage, and TMO is alleged to have largely accomplished that, here in Michigan, with Band 12 rollouts.

 

[loonycgb2]

Houston maybe a big city, but we seem to always have good speeds in the more populated areas.

I live in the country area so at certain spots we lose the normal 25-40mbps downloads to h+ 1mbps speeds.

So looking forward to this as it will really help up those speeds on the near dead spots.

Not forgetting the new radio the galaxy s8 is sporting, imagine more phones get the same so we will be on a gbps network to an extent.

 

[septembersrain]

Houston maybe a big city, but we seem to always have good speeds in the more populated areas.

I live in the country area so at certain spots we lose the normal 25-40mbps downloads to h+ 1mbps speeds.

So looking forward to this as it will really help up those speeds on the near dead spots.

Not forgetting the new radio the galaxy s8 is sporting, imagine more phones get the same so we will be on a gbps network to an extent.

Same. I'm in San Antonio. However when I travel outside of it going rural like in Castroville, Rio Medina, Hondo, Uvalde, etc it gets abysmally slow.

I'm looking forward to seeing at least stable speeds out there, anything is better than taking 5-10 minutes and moving all around to get a simple website to load.