Wireless news in the US, this week (Jan12)

Briefing Document: 

Key Themes & Analysis:

1. 5G Standalone (SA) Rollout Gaining Momentum:

• Delayed Adoption: Despite being touted as the future, 5G SA deployment has been slow, with many operators still relying on Non-Standalone (NSA) 5G which uses a 4G core. The article notes that "five years into 5G deployments, many operators still haven't moved beyond non-standalone deployments".
• 2025 as a Turning Point: 2025 is projected to be a significant year for 5G SA, with major players like AT&T and Verizon finally deploying the technology for real. The article states that about a dozen more MNOs will deploy 5G SA networks in 2025, "This will include AT&T and Verizon - who said they debuted the tech years ago."
• Global Deployment: As of early 2025, 61 5G SA networks have been deployed since 2020, indicating growing global adoption.

1. Major Market Consolidation and UScellular's Demise:

• UScellular's Sale: UScellular, once a significant regional player with around 5 million customers across 21 states, is being dismantled and sold off. This illustrates the competitive challenges faced by smaller operators against nationwide players.
• Acquisition by Major Carriers: T-Mobile is acquiring the bulk of UScellular's operations, including around 30% of its spectrum and all customers and retail stores for $4.4 billion. AT&T and Verizon are buying large portions of UScellular's spectrum for $1.01 and $1 billion respectively.
• Smaller Players Enter the Fray: After these major acquisitions, smaller regional players like Nex-Tech Wireless and Nsight are acquiring the remaining spectrum licenses, showing a 'nibbling' effect after the larger deals. The article notes "After the big dogs got their fill, now the market's smaller players are coming in to nibble at the leftovers."

1. Mobile Network Performance and Availability:

• Opensignal Report: The Opensignal Mobile Network Experience Report from January 2025 provides detailed performance metrics across the US.
• T-Mobile's Strength in Download Speeds: T-Mobile consistently demonstrates significantly higher download speeds compared to AT&T and Verizon in most of the states examined. For example, in Idaho, T-Mobile’s download speed is 156.8 Mbps, while AT&T is at 36.7 Mbps, and Verizon is at 45.7 Mbps. T-Mobile’s dominance in download speeds is observed across many other states as well.
• T-Mobile's Strength in 5G Availability: T-Mobile also leads in 5G availability, with far more time users are connected to 5G networks. For instance, in Delaware, T-Mobile shows 72.4% 5G availability, while AT&T and Verizon sit at 12.5% and 13.7% respectively. These differences are significant across the states included in the report.
• T-Mobile's Strength in Consistent Quality: T-Mobile wins the Consistent Quality award for the fourth time, indicating strong performance consistency across its network. The report notes that "T-Mobile wins the Consistent Quality award outright for the fourth report in a row".

1. Regulatory and Political Landscape:

• Net Neutrality: The Sixth Circuit has also rejected the FCC's net neutrality rules. This suggests an era of limited regulation in this area.

1. Other Notable Developments:

• Fiber Network Sales: Crown Castle and Lumen are reportedly closer to selling their fiber networks, which might signal a strategic shift in their business focus.
• Xumo and Sharp Partnership: Xumo is partnering with Sharp to manufacture smart TVs, highlighting the growing i

Thank you for listening!
-Mario Mejia