T-Mobile today said its 5G Ultra Capacity network, which uses mid-band spectrum, now covers more than 300 million people in the U.S. And it’s achieved this milestone two months ahead of schedule. In addition, T-Mobile’s overall 5G coverage now reaches more than 330 million people, or 98% of the U.S. population.
In its announcement today T-Mobile bashed its competitors by saying they wasted their time in early 5G rollouts by focusing on millimeter wave spectrum, while T-Mobile “set its sights on a multi-band spectrum strategy using low-band 5G to blanket the country and mid-band 5G (Ultra Capacity) to bring insanely fast speeds to nearly everyone.”
“No other provider has even stated plans to achieve the level of 5G capacity and reach that T-Mobile is delivering today,” stated T-Mobile.
600 MHz
While its announcement today was about mid-band reach, T-Mobile has also managed to consolidate a lot of low-band spectrum in the 600 MHz. “This is what has allowed them to address rural markets that they have been unable to address in the past, and it improves in-building coverage in urban markets,” wrote New Street Research analyst Jonathan Chaplin. “The in-building coverage in urban markets is important because it helps narrow the perceived difference in performance between T-Mobile and Verizon.”
And T-Mobile is trying to buy more 600 MHz spectrum from two entitles owned by Columbia Capital. It announced in August 2022 that it was buying approximately 12 MHz of 600 MHz spectrum from Channel 51 License Co. and LB License Co. for a total of $3.4 billion. T-Mobile is already leasing, and using, all of this spectrum from Columbia Capital.
In addition, T-Mobile also leases some 600 MHz spectrum from Dish.
Dish objects
On Friday October 20, Dish submitted a filing with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding T-Mobile's purchase of 600 MHz spectrum from Columbia Capital. It said T-Mobile is amassing too much low-band spectrum and should be subject to the FCC’s spectrum screen rules, which set limits on how much spectrum any one carrier can hold in a particular geographic area.
Dish said the transaction will have “anticompetitive effects” and that once T-Mobile dominates the 600 MHz band, it will probably raise prices.
Currently, the FCC’s Wireless Bureau is seeking comment on strengthening its spectrum screen policy.
“The opening of that proceeding alone should be enough to stay the underlying applications here,” stated Dish. “It makes no sense to address competitive harms from spectrum aggregation in a rulemaking, while letting them take deeper root by allowing the T-Mobile/Columbia Capital deal to proceed.”
The analysts at New Street have been speculating that Dish and T-Mobile could make a swap of low-band spectrum that would make sense for both carriers. Dish has 600 MHz in New York that it could spare to T-Mobile; while T-Mobile has 800 MHz spectrum that Dish wants to buy.
“There is trade that should happen; it has undoubtedly been discussed; the stumbling block must be price,” wrote New Street.
So, if Dish could gain more of its desired 800 MHz spectrum in a trade with T-Mobile, why is it making filings with the FCC, complaining about T-Mobile’s aggregation of 600 MHz?
In an email to Fierce Wireless, Chaplin wrote, “In the negotiating game, they will oppose each other in different processes in an attempt to gain leverage. Dish wants the 800 MHz, and they want to sell 20 MHz of 600 MHz in New York. If T-Mobile agreed to that, I think you would see their opposition to the Columbia Capital transaction fade.”