T-Mobile, in a test, aggregated eight channels of millimeter-wave spectrum to reach download speeds topping 4.3 Gbps without relying on low-band or mid-band spectrum to anchor the connection, the company says. T-Mobile also aggregated four channels of mmWave spectrum on the uplink, reaching speeds above 420 Mbps.
Though T-Mobile has not relied on mmWave spectrum to support 5G, it is testing 5G mmWave for use in crowded areas such as stadiums. T-Mobile also suggests mmWave might--and likely will--support its fixed wireless home broadband services.
Verizon’s use of millimeter wave has been to support usage in dense urban areas and high-traffic locations such as stadiums, airports, business districts. In large part, Verizon has been more aggressive about using millimeter wave assets because it has had the smallest allotment of crucial mid-band spectrum.
AT&T has the same strategy--supporting usage in dense urban areas and select business locations--but AT&T has been more cautious in deploying its mmWave assets, compared to Verizon.
Competitors criticize the sustainability of fixed wireless as a platform that will eventually be unable to keep pace with capacity demands of its users.
At the moment, Verizon and T-Mobile are careful to offer fixed wireless home broadband in areas where they have lots of capacity on the 5G network, allowing them to devote spectrum to fixed wireless without impairing mobile experience.
Average monthly data consumption for 5G fixed wireless ranges from about 300 gigabytes on Verizon’s network to 450 GB on T-Mobile’s fixed wireless network.
Compared to that, average monthly data consumption in North America is about 8.6 GB. Basically, fixed wireless, when used as a home broadband platform, consumes two orders of magnitude more bandwidth than does a typical mobile phone customers.
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