OVERLAND PARK (dpa-AFX) - Sprint Corp. (S) Friday announced its plans to launch commercial 5G wireless services across the U.S. in the first half of 2019.
'We're working with Qualcomm and network and device manufacturers in order to launch the first truly mobile [5G] network in the United States by the first half of 2019,' Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure said during earnings call, according to FierceWirless.com. 'This development will put Sprint at the forefront of technology innovation on par with other leading carriers around the world . We believe our next-gen network will truly differentiate Sprint over the next couple of years.'
Sprint claims that its 5G network would be superior than competitors as it will be using its 2.5 GHz spectrum frequency airwaves.
Claure explained that Sprint will achieve this by deploying antennas on its cell towers that support massive MIMO transmissions.
Sprint plans to strengthen its 5G network by installing about 40,000 outdoor small cell solutions, 15,000 strand mounted small cells through the company's partnerships with cable companies, along with the deployment of up to 1 million Sprint Magic Boxes.
Verizon had earlier announced that it will sell high-speed home internet using 5G technology later this year in five cities, starting in Sacramento, California. AT&T also plans to roll out 5G network later this year.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX