T-Mobile partners with Disney, Red Bull, and more to drive 5G innovation

T-Mobile 5G Hub with cellular equipment
(Image credit: T-Mobile)

What you need to know

  • T-Mobile announced the new DevEdge developer platform with access to resources like open source projects and pre-certified modules, chipsets, and devices.
  • T-Mobile is also expanding the ecosystem with the Tech Experience 5G Hub, T-Mobile Accelerator, and T-Mobile Ventures.
  • T-Mobile is also working with partners Disney StudioLAB and Red Bull to test and create new experiences.

T-Mobile announced 5G Forward, a series of moves to drive developer innovation on 5G. Starting with its new developer platform, DevEdge, T-Mobile will provide developers with the resources needed to develop on 5G without getting bogged down waiting for carriers to help them. T-Mobile is also expanding its ecosystem with the innovation center that gives developers the tools they need to test new ideas. T-Mobile is also investing SingalWire and Spectro Cloud.

T-Mobile also announced a partnership with Disney StudioLAB and Red Bull. The partnership with Disney StudioLAB will allow the companies to explore new immersive experiences like Mixed Reality and Virtual Presence. They'll also be able to explore new methods of distribution.

Red Bull is looking to bring live-action sports to the next level with 5G power drones and cameras. This will allow Red Bull to deliver multiple streams with cameras in helmets or cockpits as well as above on drones.

T-Mobile also noted that 5G usage on its network had reached 50% of overall traffic. This isn't too surprising given the size of T-Mobile's 5G coverage. It also helps that most of the best Android phones can take advantage of T-Mobile's 5G network.

T-Mobile DevEdge is a developer platform that aims to provide developers with the resources needed to get projects off the ground with 5G. This includes access to things like pre-certified modules, chipsets, and devices. They'll also get access to existing open-source projects so they can improve their own projects with things like compliance monitoring and others.

Developers can visit the DevEdge website to get signed up or to learn more. T-Mobile is also giving away 1000 free developer kits to the first developers to sign on when they become available in June.

T-Mobile 5G Hub testing

(Image credit: T-Mobile)

T-Mobile is also bolstering its own innovation ecosystem, starting with the Tech Experience 5G Hub. This 24,000 square foot space is located in Seattle right next to T-Mobile's National Technology Lab. Available to partners of all sizes, this space allows access to new 5G capabilities before they're broadly deployed. There's maker space, an area for drone testing, access to T-Mobile's full-layer-cake spectrum, edge computing, network slicing, and private network installations.

This also allows access to T-Mobile engineers to help develop 5G solutions. If you want to submit your project, you can do so at the Tech Experience website.

Samuel Contreras

When Samuel is not writing about networking or 5G at Android Central, he spends most of his time researching computer components and obsessing over what CPU goes into the ultimate Windows 98 computer. It's the Pentium 3.