T-Mobile met with FCC officials to discuss its plans for a nationwide 5G network and the proposed merger with Sprint.
5G promises significant economic benefits and improved connectivity for consumers, so regulators and lawmakers are meeting with operators to evaluate how best to realize those advantages.
In a heavily redacted presentation provided to the FCC, T-Mobile outlined its expectations for a combined T-Mobile and Sprint 5G network.
By 2024, T-Mobile projects that a merged network would handle roughly 21 exabytes of data per month, assuming the merger is approved.
The presentation is part of T-Mobile’s effort to demonstrate to regulators why the merger would be beneficial. T-Mobile forecasts that peak 5G throughput for the combined network would reach about 4.2 Gbps by 2024, compared with an estimated 2.8 Gbps for T-Mobile alone and 0.7 Gbps for Sprint alone if they remain separate.
On average, the combined 5G network is projected to deliver approximately 451 Mbps, and T-Mobile says it could provide speeds above 100 Mbps to more than 293 million people.
T-Mobile also claims improved spectral efficiency for the combined network, noting higher performance with both 4×2 MIMO and 4×4 MIMO setups compared to current LTE deployments.
The company expects 2021 to be a turning point for adoption of 5G-capable handsets, although it plans to begin offering 5G devices earlier.
During its discussions with the FCC, T-Mobile emphasized that combining spectrum holdings from both companies across low-, mid-, and high-band frequencies would enable “a robust, nationwide 5G network” that benefits consumers.
In addition to spectrum aggregation, T-Mobile says an increased number of cell sites from the combined company would expand capacity. “The aggregation of these resources would enable New T-Mobile to deliver unprecedented capacity and performance,” the presentation stated.
Regulators and other government officials are focused on understanding 5G technology and ensuring its potential is fully realized. Part of that effort includes evaluating policy and regulatory approaches that foster rapid, efficient deployment without unnecessary barriers.
For example, the FCC recently set limits on how much local municipalities can charge carriers for attaching small-cell 5G equipment to city-owned infrastructure. Several US cities have criticized those rules and have threatened legal challenges, arguing the FCC overstepped its authority.
T-Mobile and Sprint currently expect their merger to close in the first half of 2019, pending regulatory approval.
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