T-Mobile seems to be all in on 5G networks, and its recent investments make that clear. After signing a $3.5 billion deal with Nokia to help deploy the technology in the United States, the carrier is signing a very similar deal with Ericsson. The new agreement is worth exactly as much as the one done with Nokia back in July, and it seems to have the same objective as well.
As part of the deal, Ericsson will be providing the carrier with 3GPP-compliant 5G New Radio hardware and software, as well as its solutions for digital services, which should help T-Mobile "rapidly launch innovative and groundbreaking 5G experiences" to its customers. T-Mobile"s CTO, Neville Ray, commented on the deal, highlighting the company"s commitment to 5G:
"While the other guys just make promises, we"re putting our money where our mouth is. With this new Ericsson agreement we’re laying the groundwork for 5G and with Sprint – and with Sprint we can supercharge the 5G revolution."
Though it"s hard to compare just how much each carrier is investing in 5G, the statements seem to be kind of true: T-Mobile has now signed two major deals with networking companies, and 5G was also the focus of its upcoming merger with Sprint, which has also teased "the first 5G smartphone in the U.S." for next year. Verizon will also have a 5G phone around that time thanks to the 5G Moto Mod for the Moto Z3.
The era of 5G networks is rapidly approaching, but despite all the talks surrounding the technology in recent months, it could take a while for it to become mainstream. The Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 could be the first smartphone to support the technology as early as this year, but it may be unrealistic to expect it to work properly in the United States.