While Verizon and AT&T already offer 5G hotspots, T-Mobile just announced its first 5G hotspot, the Inseego 5G MiFi M2000, which taps into both its low- and mid-band spectrum.
T-Mobile says the device is capable of connecting up to 30 devices, and it’s offering a deal: 100 GB of mobile internet data for $50 a month.
T-Mobile is calling its 5G deployment using 600 MHz its “Extended Range” service, while it uses the “Ultra Capacity 5G” moniker to denote where it’s using other spectrum, like the newly acquired 2.5 GHz spectrum from Sprint, to offer super-fast 5G experiences. (The new Inseego hotspot can also revert to LTE when needed.)
“One mid-band Ultra Capacity 5G site can cover tens of thousands of times the area that one Verizon Ultra Wideband 5G site can cover, giving T-Mobile customers the Wi-Fi rivaling 5G speeds in waaaaay more places,” T-Mobile said in its press release.
The "Ultra Capacity 5G" promises download speeds around 300 Mbps and peak speeds up to 1 Gbps.
T-Mobile President and CEO Mike Sievert said during an investor conference earlier this week that the “uncarrier” intends to own the 5G era in terms of best network and best value. It’s already covering about 270 million people with 600 MHz and expects to cover 100 million people with the 2.5 GHz deployment by the end of this year. It also has millimeter wave spectrum to top off its spectrum “layer cake” that President of Technology Neville Ray likes to talk about.
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Starting December 13, T-Mobile customers will be able to get 5 GB of mobile internet data, including Ultra Capacity 5G speeds, for $20 a month (with autopay), which it says will save $30 over Verizon’s offer for that amount of data. Customers also can get that 100 GB for $50/month plan for a limited time.
T-Mobile points out that with so many people working and studying from home, everyone is relying more on their connected devices, and the 100 GB offer is enough to keep an entire family connected on up to 320 hours of video calls each month.
It also notes that the Inseego 5G hotspot has the latest in Wi-Fi tech, with 40% faster speeds than previous generations and the ability to connect up to 30 Wi-Fi enabled devices at once.