Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. News

T-Mobile completes the first 5G data and video call using 600MHz spectrum

By

T-Mobile is well on its way to finally implementing 5G. At CES 2019, the company, in partnership with Ericsson, announced that it had completed the world’s first 5G data call and video call on 600MHz. On top of that, the company also completed a 5G video call on multiple bands — 600MHz, 28GHz, and 39GHz.

More CES 2019 coverage

Both of the announcements are significant steps forward for T-Mobile’s implementation of 5G. 600MHz, for example, will be important for 5G considering it’s a lower frequency, and as such can cover much larger distances than the “millimeter wave” frequencies that 5G may be more famous for. In fact, according to T-Mobile, 5G engineers were able to generate a signal on the 600MHz spectrum that covered 1,000 square miles from a single tower — which is pretty huge.

Recommended Videos

According to T-Mobile, the test is significant because of the fact that it shows how different wireless spectrums will play into 5G development. Low-band, mid-band, and millimeter wave frequency bands will all deliver 5G services. Most of T-Mobile’s competitors, including AT&T and Verizon, have stuck to demonstrating the use of millimeter wave. It makes sense — millimeter wave will likely be responsible for delivering the super-fast data speeds many are expecting from 5G. The problem with them, however, is that they can only cover short distances, which is exactly where low-band and mid-band frequencies come in.

Related

“This is a huge accomplishment for Neville and his team, who had a vision for nationwide 5G and are building it out the right way – across multiple spectrum bands,” T-Mobile CEO John Legere said in a statement. “While the other guys focus on 5G millimeter wave on a handful of blocks in a handful of cities, we’re building 5G for everyone, everywhere! And together with Sprint, we’ll add much-needed spectrum depth, creating a truly transformative 5G network!”

Once 5G is fully rolled out and available to consumers, it could deliver speeds of up to 100 times today’s typical data connection. T-Mobile’s 5G network probably won’t be fully rolled out until 2020, but once the tech is in place, T-Mobile says it will deliver a full nationwide network — while competitors will likely start in a few select cities and build out from there.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Christian de Looper
Christian de Looper
Contributor
Christian’s interest in technology began as a child in Australia, when he stumbled upon a computer at a garage sale that he…
What is 5G UW? The real meaning behind the icon on your phone
Woman holding up smartphone with speed test results on Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband network.

You've probably noticed that there's been much more hype around 5G than for any of the wireless technologies that came before. Some of that is just marketing, of course; we are living in an increasingly connected era, and there are far more people toting smartphones now than there were in 2012 when 4G/LTE was just beginning to go mainstream. However, it's also not an exaggeration to say that with considerably faster speeds and the ability to handle many more devices, 5G is a much bigger step into the next stage of global connectivity. You've also probably noticed it yourself with a "5G UW" icon at the top of your phone.

As with most new technologies, 5G comes with some new challenges for both carriers and consumers. One of the most significant of these has been working out the best way to deploy 5G services across the much wider range of frequencies that it's capable of operating on. This wasn't nearly as significant a problem in the days of 3G and 4G/LTE services, which all operated in a much narrower range of radio spectrum.

Read more
What is 5G? Speeds, coverage, comparisons, and more
The 5G UW icon on the Samsung Galaxy S23.

It's been years in the making, but 5G — the next big chapter in wireless technology — is finally approaching the mainstream. While we haven't yet reached the point where it's available everywhere, nearly all of the best smartphones are 5G-capable these days, and you're far more likely to see a 5G icon lit up on your phone than not.

There's more to 5G than just a fancy new number, though. The technology has been considerably more complicated for carriers to roll out since it covers a much wider range of frequencies than older 4G/LTE technology, with different trade-offs for each. It's also a much farther-reaching wireless technology, promising the kind of global connectivity that was once merely a dream found in futuristic sci-fi novels.

Read more
What is 5G UC? Here’s what that icon on your phone really means
5G logo on the Motorola Edge (2022).

If you own a 5G-capable smartphone — which are all of the best phones today — there’s a good chance you’ve seen different 5G network icons showing up in your status bar. It’s a stark contrast to the pre-5G days when your phone showed “4G” or “LTE” no matter where you went.

It can get a bit confusing to see a 5G indicator one moment and then “5G UC” or “5G UW” the next. It’s not something you need to worry too much about, as you don’t usually have much control over it, but it’s still helpful to understand what these different symbols mean — and why they matter.
The humble beginnings of 5G

Read more