In August of 2020, T-Mobile US claimed a world’s first with the launch of a nationwide standalone (SA) 5G network that uses its 600 MHz spectrum. Launched its 2019, T-Mo’s 600 MHz 5G network achieves “nationwide coverage”–200 million people covered–using the non-standalone architecture. According to the operator, the shift to standalone, saw a coverage expansion of 30% to 1.3 million square miles, upping population coverage to 250 million, and a 40% reduction in latency.
To better assess if and by how much T-Mo’s network improved once transitioned to SA, Opensignal analyzed user experience on the network before and after the shift. The firm found that after the launch of SA 5G services, user time connected to 5G “significantly increased,” with a particular jump seen in rural areas.
