UScellular (NYSE: USM) announced it has launched its 3.45 GHz mid-band spectrum for 5G deployments with customers in parts of 10 states. The company says customers who now have access to its 5G mid-band technology with a mid-band enabled device, can realize up to 10 times faster speeds than with its current 4G LTE and 5G 600 MHz low-band network. UScellular says this mid-band technology provides more capacity, enhances the mobile experience, and enables business and fixed wireless applications.
By the end of June, UScellular’s 5G mid-band network will be available mainly in parts of Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin, including sections of Rockford, Des Moines and Milwaukee. Communities in Maine, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington are also included in the initial rollout. By the end of 2023, the company expects to cover more than one million households in its operating footprint with its 5G mid-band network.
“We view mid-band as the sweet spot of 5G because it provides broad coverage, low latency and fast speeds – enabling more people to connect to what matters most at home or on-the-go,” said Mike Irizarry, UScellular EVP and CTO. “As we approach serving 100,000 High-Speed Internet [fixed wireless access] customers later this summer, mid-band will play an important role in furthering the reach and enhancement of that [FWA] product. We’ve made it a priority to expand the [FWA] technology to more communities in the coming years.”
At the end of 1Q23, the company reported 4.7 million postpaid and prepaid mobile subscribers and 87,000 fixed wireless access connections.
UScellular will continue to expand its device portfolio, including adding more options for its high-speed internet product and additional IoT devices, to further enhance its mobile and FWA connectivity offerings. The company expects to cover nearly three million households in its operating footprint with 5G mid-band by the end of 2024.
UScellular now offers customers a range of 5G speeds and services with a spectrum “layer cake” approach using 600 MHz low-band, 3.45 GHz mid-band and 28/39 GHz high-band mmWave frequencies.
Mid-band deployments will become more significant in the coming months. UScellular was the third largest winner, behind AT&T and DISH, of 3.45 GHz licenses in FCC Auction 110, taking 380 licenses in 104 PEAs for $580 million.
The company also was a big spender in Auction 107 for C-band mid-band spectrum winning 254 licenses in 99 PEAs for $1.3 billion. C-band deployments are not likely to begin before the end of 2023 once that portion of the C-band spectrum is cleared by incumbent satellite operators.
UScellular is partnering with Nokia (NYSE: NOK) and Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) to supply RAN and Core equipment for its 5G mid-band buildout. Irizarry told Inside Towers at Connect(X) that the company is looking into deploying 3.45 GHz/C-band dual-band radios that will be available from both equipment manufacturers as a way of simplifying its 5G mid-band spectrum rollout.
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