T-Mobile doubled capacity, speeds in days with spectrum loaned from Dish, others

T-Mobile deployed additional 600 MHz spectrum in two days after getting it on loan from Dish Network and others amid the COVID-19 crisis, according to analysis by Opensignal. This doubled capacity and 4G LTE speeds in major markets, showing a successful example of collaboration within and between the wireless industry and government during the pandemic. In 32 markets, T-Mobile boosted the amount of 600 MHz spectrum for 4G twice - increasing first from 10 MHz to 20 MHz, and then again to 30 MHz. The capacity boost made an impact on T-Mobile’s performance right out of the gate; average 4G LTE download speeds increased significantly from day one for users on T-Mobile’s network in those markets. When connected to the 600 MHz band, average download speeds rose from 9.9 Mbps at the beginning of March to 20.2 Mbps by the end of the month.