A closer look at the 5G midband buildouts of T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon

Verizon hopes to cover around 175 million people with its midband 5G network by the end of this year, while AT&T hopes to cover around 100 million people with its own midband network by that time. Both operators are working to catch up to T-Mobile, which expects to cover around 260 million people with its own midband 5G network by the end of 2022.

Such networks promise to dramatically increase speeds for most customers around the US. Indeed, most customers covered by such networks should see their smartphone download speeds double, and some could see their speeds increase by a factor of five or even 10.

However, not all midband 5G networks are the same. Each operator is using a slightly different mixture of technologies, vendors and spectrum, and the resulting combinations could have significant implications for customer experiences. For example, a customer accessing 200MHz of midband spectrum at a nearby tower will see dramatically faster speeds than a customer on just 40MHz of such spectrum accessing a distant tower. That’s because things like spectrum depth, range and other factors have a massive impact on the performance of 5G, or any cellular technology.

Thus, the devils are often in the details. And it’s fair to say that all of the operators have been reluctant to offer the public a look at those devils. For example, it is often difficult or impossible to get clarity on topics like equipment vendors, Massive MIMO configurations and spectrum depth for specific markets, despite the fact that such information could help customers choose the best carrier for their needs.

Here’s a brief look at some of the details surrounding the rollout of midband 5G in the US. The topic is important considering that midband spectrum has been described as the “Goldilocks” location for 5G technology. After all, midband 5G often provides much faster speeds than 5G in lowband spectrum and can cover much wider geographic areas than 5G in highband, millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum.

Branding

Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile are all using equipment from the same three radio vendors (Samsung, Nokia and Ericsson) and all that equipment adheres to the same 3GPP specifications. This means that the underlying bones supporting their networks are all basically the same. Each operator is attempting to set itself apart with slightly different marketing and pricing strategies.

Verizon has applied the “5G Ultra Wideband” (5GUW) label to its midband and highband 5G networks, and generally only offers access to those networks on its more expensive plans. Verizon reserves the “5G” label for its lowband 5G network.

AT&T has confusingly applied the “5G E” label to its 4G network. The operator uses the “5G+” label for its midband and highband 5G networks, and offers access to those networks across most of its plans. Like Verizon, AT&T uses the “5G” label for its lowband network.

Finally, T-Mobile has branded its midband network as “5G Ultra Capacity” (5GUC). The operator also uses that brand for its handful of mmWave locations. The networks are available across most of T-Mobile’s main service plans. T-Mobile calls its lowband 5G network “5G Extended Range.”

Spectrum bands and depth

T-Mobile is the only carrier in the US using 2.5GHz spectrum for its midband 5G network, and that gambit has paid off handsomely. The operator has almost 200MHz worth of that spectrum in most major markets, and recently acquired even more 2.5GHz licenses in mostly rural areas thanks to a recent FCC auction.

However, T-Mobile also owns some C-band and 3.45GHz midband spectrum licenses in locations around the country. The operator plans to start deploying those holdings starting in 2023 when its vendors begin offering dual-mode radios that support both bands.

Verizon has bet exclusively on C-band spectrum for its midband 5G. The operator spent roughly $50 billion acquiring around 160MHz of the spectrum nationwide. And now it’s spending another $10 billion to install radios capable of supporting the technology on its cell towers. However, a portion of Verizon’s C-band holdings cannot be used until 2023 because satellite operators SES and Intelsat are still using it.

Verizon recently announced that it is increasing its C-band deployment from 60MHz to 100MHz in some markets. The company is doing so in part thanks to extra payments it’s making to SES to move off the band more quickly.

AT&T’s midband strategy stretches across both C-band and 3.45GHz spectrum. Like Verizon, a portion of AT&T’s C-band spectrum cannot be used until 2023.

Unlike T-Mobile, AT&T isn’t waiting for dual-band radios to begin its deployment. Instead, it’s deploying two separate radios – one for C-band and another for 3.45GHz – at each of its cell sites.

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