T-Mobile is finally showing you where to find its elusive, ultra-fast 5G
What you need to know
- T-Mobile's coverage map now shows where you can get faster Ultra Capacity 5G coverage.
- Ultra Capacity 5G uses mid-band spectrum at 2.5GHz and covers 165 million people, with 200 million expected by the end of the year.
- Extended Range 5G now covers 305 million people across 1.7 million square miles.
T-Mobile has been focused on expanding its Ultra Capacity 5G network across the country, hitting milestone after milestone in the number of people covered. The only problem was that it was nearly impossible to tell if you were covered by this faster 5G network unless you dug into the diagnostics menu on your phone. As Reported by PCMag, T-Mobile includes Ultra Capacity 5G on its coverage map so the customer can tell where they can experience this fast 5G connection.
According to an update from T-Mobile, Ultra Capacity 5G covers 165 million people with an average download speed of 350Mbps. This is a notable upgrade from the speeds people got previously on well-developed LTE and Extended Range 5G.
On T-Mobile's coverage map, Ultra Capacity 5G is shown in a much darker color to differentiate it from Extended Range 5G. This update is also reflected on Metro by T-Mobile's coverage map. Many cities and towns are shown to have some Ultra Capacity 5G coverage, with the majority of coverage focused on densely populated areas.
As the name implies, Ultra Capacity 5G uses 2.5GHz spectrum and is ideal for handling a large number of connections at once while still delivering plenty of speed.
Extended Range 5G will reach much further on the same tower thanks to its lower 600MHz spectrum. Lower frequencies can travel further since they're not as affected by interference. Things like trees, buildings, and even water vapor in the air can negatively affect cell phone coverage. This can be seen in some rural areas with pockets of Ultra Capacity 5G and Extended Range 5G on the same tower.
T-Mobile has continued to expand its 5G coverage and covers 305 million people with 165 million of those with access to Ultra Capacity 5G. To access Ultra Capacity 5G, your phone will need to support T-Mobile's band n41. Most 5G phones sold by T-Mobile support this band, and many unlocked 5G phones do as well.
T-Mobile has some of the best cell phone plans you can get, but luckily, all T-Mobile plans have access to T-Mobile's full 5G network, including those on a T-Mobile-based prepaid carrier like Mint Mobile.
Be an expert in 5 minutes
Get the latest news from Android Central, your trusted companion in the world of Android
Great 5G support
Unlocked with support for Ultra Capacity and Extended Range 5G
The Samsung Galaxy S20 is one of the best 5G phones you can get, with great support for low-band, mid-band, and mmWave 5G.
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.