T-Mobile's 'Ultra Capacity' 5G Now Covers 200 Million People
T-Mobile today announced that its high-speed "Ultra Capacity 5G" is now available to 200 million people across the United States, with the carrier hitting the milestone weeks ahead of schedule.
Ultra Capacity 5G is T-Mobile's higher-speed 5G network that's faster than the Extended Range 5G network that covers 308 million T-Mobile customers. While Extended Range 5G offers LTE-like speeds, Ultra Capacity 5G is more capable.
T-Mobile initially planned to cover 200 million people by the end of 2021, and has met that goal early. As noted by The Verge, this is a theoretical maximum based on the coverage that T-Mobile offers. In reality, T-Mobile has just over 100 million subscribers, not all of whom will be able to access the 5G speeds due to location or device limitations.
T-Mobile's Ultra Capacity 5G largely relies on mid-band 2.5GHz spectrum rather than the mmWave 5G spectrum used by other carriers like AT&T and Verizon. As T-Mobile explains in the press release announcing the coverage, the company aimed for mid-band spectrum to bring 5G speeds to the maximum number of people, and T-Mobile has been rolling out the 2.5GHz spectrum since it acquired Sprint.
Faster mmWave 5G speeds from AT&T and Verizon are largely limited to select areas in major cities, though both carriers have slower sub-6GHz 5G coverage available as well. AT&T and Verizon were planning on rolling out mid-band spectrum starting this year, but their plans have been delayed due to the FAA's concerns about aircraft interference.
T-Mobile's focus on mid-band spectrum is the reason why T-Mobile was the fastest 5G carrier in the United States in PCMag's annual test. T-Mobile's wider coverage allowed the carrier to achieve the highest average speeds of 162.3Mb/s, beating out AT&T and Verizon. Verizon had the fastest speeds overall, but its coverage was much more limited due to the current lack of mid-band spectrum and the limited availability of its mmWave speeds.
Popular Stories
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle.
Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines.
According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option.
Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
The company behind the BlackBerry-like Clicks Keyboard accessory for the iPhone today unveiled a new Android 16 smartphone called the Clicks Communicator.
The purpose-built device is designed to be used as a second phone alongside your iPhone, with the intended focus being communication over content consumption. It runs a custom Android launcher that offers a curated selection of messaging...
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce.
In a press release this week, the Taiwanese research firm said this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing."
TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more...
Apple today announced a number of updates to Apple Fitness+ and activity with the Apple Watch.
The key announcements include:
New Year limited-edition award: Users can win the award by closing all three Activity Rings for seven days in a row in January.
"Quit Quitting" Strava challenge: Available in Strava throughout January, users who log 12 workouts anytime in the month will win an ...
Apple is planning to release a low-cost MacBook in 2026, which will apparently compete with more affordable Chromebooks and Windows PCs. Apple's most affordable Mac right now is the $999 MacBook Air, and the upcoming low-cost MacBook is expected to be cheaper. Here's what we know about the low-cost MacBook so far.
Size
Rumors suggest the low-cost MacBook will have a display that's around 13 ...
Apple hasn't updated the Mac Pro since 2023, and according to recent rumors, there's no update coming in the near future. In fact, Apple might be finished with the Mac Pro.
Bloomberg recently said that the Mac Pro is "on the back burner" and has been "largely written off" by Apple. Apple apparently views the more compact Mac Studio as the ideal high-end pro-level desktop, and it has almost...
