Sprint Partners With Qualcomm and SoftBank to Launch Wide-Scale 5G Network By End of 2019

[MacRumors]

Sprint today announced plans to develop and deploy a wide-scale 2.5GHz 5G network in partnership with Qualcomm and SoftBank, with the intent to provide the service and products compatible with it to customers in "late 2019."

Sprint's 5G network is said to use the New Radio standard developed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project, a group of telecommunications organizations that oversee the development and maintenance of major communication networks.

Otherwise, Sprint's press release today is notably sparse on details.

Qualcomm Technologies, SoftBank and Sprint have jointly agreed to develop technologies for 5G, including the 3GPP New Radio (NR) standard in Band 41 (2.5GHz) for accelerated wide-scale 5G deployments.

The companies plan to provide commercial services and devices in late 2019. Additional details will be provided by the companies.

Like previous advances in network technology, 5G will grant users faster data speeds and lower latency on smartphones and other cellular-enabled devices. Other companies -- including AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile -- have announced plans and tests for 5G networks, but the advanced technology isn't expected to become a reality until after 3GPP establishes the initial standards for 5G.

After the standards are developed (which will be a focus of 3GPP's work in the second half of 2017), and after carriers finish testing and launch support for the advanced 5G network infrastructure, it'll take some additional time for Apple to create and debut an iPhone that could connect to 5G. For these reasons, widespread commercial adoption of 5G is still estimated for 2020 or later.

Article Link: Sprint Partners With Qualcomm and SoftBank to Launch Wide-Scale 5G Network By End of 2019

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

They'll beat T-Mobile to it. As will Verizon and AT&T. T-Mobile just wants the headlines.

 

[Andres Cantu]

Let's focus on LTE first, yes Sprint?

 

[TMRJIJ]

Maybe Sprint should partner with a company that can fix their crappy service in general.
Apparently LTE coverage doesn't exist anywhere in South Carolina, United States

 

[lowercaseperson]

Is there even a 5g standard yet?

 

[jimothyGator]

Is there even a 5g standard yet?

No, and this article states this fact.

 

[oneMadRssn]

Maybe they should try WiMax again.

 

[Avieshek]

Let's have LTE-Advanced first and just not rename that to 5G.

 

[Steve.P.JobsFan]

T-Mobile just wants the headlines.

Lol what?

You could say the same thing with AT&T deploying LTE-A (4x4 MIMO and 256QAM) and calling it "5G Evolution."

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Who cares what the marketing term is call. Just give us a network that actually works. I've been in plenty of places on T-Mo where the LTE light is on and with multiple bars but the actual service is, best case 2G (I'm not being throttled).

 

[tmiw]

Let's focus on LTE first, yes Sprint?

My experience when I used to have them is that LTE was fairly decent--as long as you weren't within 150 miles or so of one of the borders. Guess where I live? Yeah.

 

[dominiongamma]

Sprint is sad they said wi-max was the future. They need to go away forever

 

[Chris Meyers]

Seems very optimistic since 5G standards haven't even been finalized yet. Sprint has sunk into a lower and lower 4th place amongst carriers, and I dont think they will do anything in 5G that wont be done better by the big 3 and particularly by T Mobile sitting on that boatload of new spectrum

 

[willmtaylor]

They honestly think they'll still be in business then? Good for them! I like their spunk!

 

[Parasprite]

Awesome! This means Sprint will finally have access to 3G speeds.

 

[joueboy]

Here's my suggestion to Sprint. Build that LTE first then we're talking.

 

[Tinmania]

So what city will this be in, Omaha or Tulsa?


Mike

 

[willmtaylor]

So what city will this be in, Omaha or Tulsa?


Mike

Lawrence, KS only.

 

[edflo63085]

Sprint today announced plans to develop and deploy a wide-scale 2.5GHz 5G network in partnership with Qualcomm and SoftBank, with the intent to provide the service and products compatible with it to customers in "late 2019."

Sprint's 5G network is said to use the New Radio standard developed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project, a group of telecommunications organizations that oversee the development and maintenance of major communication networks.

Otherwise, Sprint's press release today is notably sparse on details. Like previous advances in network technology, 5G will grant users faster data speeds and lower latency on smartphones and other cellular-enabled devices. Other companies -- including AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile -- have announced plans and tests for 5G networks, but the advanced technology isn't expected to become a reality until after 3GPP establishes the initial standards for 5G.

After the standards are developed (which will be a focus of 3GPP's work in the second half of 2017), and after carriers finish testing and launch support for the advanced 5G network infrastructure, it'll take some additional time for Apple to create and debut an iPhone that could connect to 5G. For these reasons, widespread commercial adoption of 5G is still estimated for 2020 or later.

Article Link: Sprint Partners With Qualcomm and SoftBank to Launch Wide-Scale 5G Network By End of 2019

[doublepost=1494468077][/doublepost]Sprint doesn't even have a reliable 3G 4g or lte network an their trying to get in to the 5g sprint is horrible

 

[swm]

 

[kdarling]

Not to worry.

If Apple gets their wish to pay Qualcomm peanuts in return for caviar, the latter will have much less incentive to help with 5G in the US.

 

[happygodavid]

Let's focus on LTE first, yes Sprint?

I switched to sprint from att when my work offered to pay for my phone. I'm considering paying my own phone bill again, simply because coverage and speed with sprint is abysmal compared to att. Perhaps Verizon? I dunno; I could give two craps about speed increases if the coverage is garbage outside of metropolitan areas. Both would be great... sprint, in my experience, provides neither.