T-Mobile USA expects to close the sprint connection in early 2020

The proposed merger of T-Mobile US with Sprint took more time than planned, but CEO John Legere used this as an opportunity to further prepare for the integration of his networks. "We now expect the merger to be completed in early 2020," he said during a Q3 earnings conversation, according to Seeking Alpha transcription. "We have detailed integration plans and are preparing to implement the 2.5 GHz Sprint spectrum shortly after its closure," he said. Last week, the operator announced that it would implement the 5G service in its 600 MHz spectrum resources by the end of the year, recognizing itself as the first "nationwide" 5G network in the country. But it will only cover 200 million people, which is about 61% of the total US population. The combination of T-Mobile and Sprint spectrum resources will significantly change this dynamics in terms of speed, capacity and range. Neville Ray told CNET that the T-Mobile 5G network at 600 MHz generates peak speeds from 200 to 300 Mb / s. That's about 20% of the peak speed that T-Mobile provides in its 5G network operating in the millimeter wave spectrum in crowded areas urban areas. The addition of the 2.5 GHz spectrum from Sprint, which provides a more robust coverage area with peak speeds approximately half that of the millimeter wave spectrum, will allow T-Mobile to use a combination of low, medium and high band spectrum for a more robust and widespread network, according to T-Mobile. The performance of the T-Mobile network at 600 MHz is partly lower because its licenses in this band are narrower. The spectrum depth of the T-Mobile license at 600 MHz is from 11 MHz to 50 MHz. Large tracts of less densely populated areas of the country are in the 31-40 MHz range, most of southern California is in the 21-30 MHz range, and most of the northeast corridor is in the 11-20 MHz range. T-Mobile Lays Low-Band Foundation "Our 600 MHz spectrum will be the foundation of our 5G network and will operate in almost 8,300 cities," including 48 states and Puerto Rico, Legere said in a conversation about earnings. "This implementation covers 1.4 million square kilometers." The operator claims that 26 million devices work today on its 600 MHz network. According to Legere, T-Mobile's 4G LTE network also achieved equality with AT&T and Verizon, with 99% of the US population. "We now have thousands of ready-made 5G towers and cellular displays capable of 5G lighting on our 600 MHz spectrum," he said. The company says it has invested $ 8 billion in the 600 MHz spectrum to date, and plans to share some of its future plans and commitments in tandem with Sprint on November 7. Operator management is also trying to distinguish its 5G strategy from others. During a stage interview at the MWC Los Angeles 2019, Ray said he was equally excited about the benefits for consumers and businesses. "We don't spend enough time talking about consumer benefits that will come," he said. The wide coverage of the 5G T-Mobile network in the 600 MHz spectrum and possibly the 2.5 GHz Sprint spectrum also differs from the Verizon approach, which T-Mobile President Mike Sievert described as "5G in several places" with high capacity, while customers in other seats will be transferred to LTE. "I don't think it would inspire the same kind of mobile innovation we'll see," he said in a conversation about earnings. The management also did not want to discuss how the 5G T-Mobile strategy will change if the contract with Sprint falls apart. "There is only one plan that connects to Sprint," said Ray. T-Mobile Q3 Financials In terms of financial results, T-Mobile still stands out on the market. The operator said that the 26th quarter in a row was over 1 million net added, including 1.7 million in total in the third quarter of 2019. The company also announced that its capital expenditure in 2019 will be in the range of USD 5.9 billion to USD 6 billion, an increase of up to USD 300 million more than previous guidelines thanks to accelerated implementation of 5G. T-Mobile has accumulated USD 870 million in net income, an increase of 9% year-on-year, with revenues of USD 11.1 billion, an increase of 2% over the same period.