T-Mobile keeps pace on 600 MHz upgrades ahead of 5G launch

T-Mobile is keeping pace on 600 MHz and 700 MHz LTE upgrades as the operator prepares to launch broad 5G coverage next week using its low-band spectrum. T-Mobile’s Neville Ray (who is being promoted to president of Technology) on Tuesday Tweeted that more sites have been upgraded with 600 MHz and 700 MHz spectrum in the last two weeks, linking to a list (PDF) that includes 297 locations across 46 states. T-Mobile’s latest LTE coverage upgrade list includes 22 locations in Texas and two in Nevada. Separately, both of those states were swayed this week to reached settlements with T-Mobile and drop out of multi-state lawsuit to block the carrier’s pending merger with Sprint over competition concerns. As with other states, T-Mobile committed to 5G buildouts in Texas and Nevada, among other pledges. Mike Sievert, the current president and COO at T-Mobile who’s poised to take over the chief executive role next year, said on the operator’s third-quarter earnings call that there was “no slowdown” on 600 MHz rollouts and the effort will continue into next year.