T-Mobile will build out its 5G technology first in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas and Las Vegas. It will add another 26 cities later in 2018.
T-Mobile plans to build out technology in 30 cities this year to support the next generation of cellular connections, called 5G.
The Bellevue carrier announced its plans Tuesday at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, and named four of the first 30 cities: New York, Los Angeles, Dallas and Las Vegas. T-Mobile isn’t saying yet whether Seattle or Bellevue are included in its initial 30-city launch.
5G has been much touted by the wireless industry as a standard that will bring blazing fast speeds for delivery of internet data and smooth video streaming, but consumers won’t get to try it out just yet. The first compatible smartphones aren’t expected to be released until 2019.
Sprint and AT&T say they are also planning start up the technology in several cities this year, but T-Mobile contends its service will be more smartphone-friendly. The smartphone challenge with 5G technology is finding a way to allow the radio waves to pass through different objects – some things, like the human body, can easily absorb them.
Verizon and AT&T are expected to release so-called hot spot “pucks” to allow people to access 5G before compatible smartphones are released.
Outspoken T-Mobile CEO John Legere attacked the two market leaders in a statement Tuesday.
“Dumb and Dumber are in a meaningless race to be first. Their so-called 5G isn’t mobile, and it’s not even on a smartphone. It’s a puck?! You gotta be pucking kidding me!” he said.