Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T brag about C-band 5G coverage and FWA
Verizon says it has approximtely 222 million people covered with its mid-band C-band network, [1.] a figure the company hopes to increase to 250 million by the end of next year. “C-band is a game change for our business,” CEO Hans Vestberg said on the telco’s 3rd quarter earnings call. “Our network is winning.”
Note 1. C-band sits between the two Wi-Fi bands, which are at 2.4GHz and 5GHz. It’s slightly above and very similar to the 2.6GHz band that Clearwire and then Sprint used for 4G starting in 2007, and which T-Mobile currently uses for mid-band 5G. And it adjoins CBRS, a band from 3.55 to 3.7GHz that’s currently being deployed for 4G. ITU-R divided C-band into three chunks, referred to as band n77, band n78, and band n79.
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Verizon officials said the company is using the capacity in its mid-band 5G network to pursue opportunities like fixed wireless access (FWA) and private wireless networks. “We see demand for the product continuing to grow,” Vestberg said of Verizon’s private wireless network offerings. He added that Verizon is working to transition its private wireless customers from pilots to commercial deployments. He also said the company is growing its ecosystem of suppliers for that business.
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T-Mobile announced Tuesday it now covers 300 million people with its 2.5GHz mid-band network, reaching that goal three months earlier than the company had planned. T-Mobile’s overall 5G footprint has expanded as well, now covering more than 330 million people or 98% of the population.
“We have been leaders in the 5G era from the start, deploying the largest, fastest, most awarded and most advanced 5G network in the country faster than anyone else,” said Ulf Ewaldsson, President of Technology at T-Mobile. “While the other guys are playing catch-up, finally beginning to build out their mid-band 5G networks, we are maintaining our lead and will continue offering customers the best network – paired with the best value – for years to come.”
“T-Mobile’s turnaround story is incredible, going from network underdog a decade ago to the undeniable network leader today,” said Anshel Sag, Principal Analyst at Moor Insights and Strategy. “T-Mobile has not only built out a robust 5G network with unmatched coverage and capacity, but the Un-carrier is also leading the way in rolling out new capabilities that will unlock the true promise of 5G.”
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Last week, AT&T said it ended the third quarter covering 190 million subscribers for its mid-band 5G network, and said it remains on track to cover 200 million by the end of the year. On the telco’s 3-2023 earnings call, CEO John Stankey said, “we continue to enhance the largest wireless network in North America and expand the nation’s most reliable 5G network. It’s no surprise that when you combine our high-value customer growth and rising revenues per user, we continue to grow profits in our wireless business.”
Regarding FWA, Stankey touted the company’s Internet Air offering. “We have no issues selling Internet Air into the business segment. It’s a really attractive thing for us to do. It’s a really helpful product on a number of different fronts. It meets a particular need.
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References:
https://www.lightreading.com/private-networks/verizon-jumps-too-as-mobility-biz-surprises-in-q3
https://www.pcmag.com/news/what-is-c-band
https://www.fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2023/10/19/att-t-q3-2023-earnings-call-transcript/
https://www.att.com/internet/internet-air/
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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.
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.”
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.
However, Dish objected to T-Mo’s attempt to buy 600MHz spectrum. 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.
https://www.fiercewireless.com/5g/t-mobile-expands-mid-band-5g-300m-people-fights-more-low-band-spectrum