Sprint Lights Up True Mobile 5G in Houston

Today Sprint’s on-the-go customers in Houston are among the first in the world to experience the power and performance of true mobile 5G. The next generation of wireless service is here, delivering blazing-fast download speeds from downtown Houston to Memorial City Mall and City Centre Plaza, covering approximately 165 square miles and 800,000 people. Sprint 5G will power new experiences for wireless customers in Houston, from gaming and entertainment services, to IoT and business applications.

Today Sprint also launched mobile 5G service in areas of Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Kansas City, with service expected to launch in areas of Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix and Washington, D.C. in the coming weeks. Sprint mobile 5G will cover approximately 2,180 square miles and 11.5 million people total across all 9 market areas, giving Sprint the largest initial 5G coverage footprint in the U.S.

"We’re proud to give our Houston customers true mobility and the largest initial 5G footprint in the country," said Sprint CEO Michel Combes. "Sprint 5G is a platform for innovation in Houston that will create new opportunities and growth across a wide range of industries from healthcare and manufacturing, to agriculture, transportation, hospitality and more."

Sprint mobile 5G is available across the cultural center of Houston, from the downtown area to Memorial City Mall and City Centre Plaza. Customers can experience dramatically faster download speeds and increased network capacity at popular destinations including major stadiums such as NRG Park, BBVA Compass, Minute Maid, Toyota Center; major universities such as University of Houston, Rice, Texas Southern, as well as around the Museum District, Houston Zoo, Medical Center and Memorial Park.

"The launch of 5G in Houston is a game-changer bringing with it the potential for a much more connected city," said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. "We could see better traffic flow on our streets leading to shorter commutes, cost-savings and reduction in energy usage, and improved public safety, education and other services. Perhaps most importantly, 5G wireless service will help to drive economic growth by making Houston an even more attractive place to live, work and play."

At the foundation of Sprint 5G is Massive MIMO, a breakthrough technology that dramatically improves network capacity. In Houston, Sprint is using 64T64R (64 transmitters 64 receivers) 5G Massive MIMO radios from Ericsson. These radios support split-mode, enabling Sprint to simultaneously deliver LTE Advanced and 5G NR service. Sprint’s 5G Massive MIMO radios run on its 2.5 GHz mid-band spectrum, and they are deployed on Sprint’s existing 4G cell sites, providing a nearly identical footprint for both 2.5 GHz LTE and 5G NR coverage.

Fredrik Jejdling, Executive Vice President and Head of Networks, Ericsson, said: "Ericsson is working together with Sprint to unleash the power of 5G on Sprint’s network. Our 5G Massive MIMO radios will provide Sprint users with a true next-generation experience, enabling advanced applications for businesses and consumers."

The Hottest 5G Devices

Sprint is building one of the largest 5G device portfolios in the U.S. to give customers more choice in how they access 5G. Customers can experience 5G mobility and blazing-fast download speeds with LG V50 ThinQTM 5G, HTC 5G Hub, and this summer, Samsung Galaxy S10 5G.

Using a key 5G technology, dual-connectivity (EN-DC), Sprint is delivering 4G LTE and 5G simultaneously to customers’ devices, enabling faster download speeds than before and a better overall experience on capable devices.

Sprint is building one of the largest 5G device portfolios in the U.S. to give customers more choice in how they access 5G.

Additional features include:

LG V50 ThinQ 5G offers striking clarity and vibrant colors with LG’s OLED display and great audio quality via stereo speakers, DTS:X 3D Surround and Hi-Fi Quad DAC. Gamers can enjoy all the rich graphics and fast-moving fun of their favorite games without delays, whether they’re playing in the living room or at the bus stop. With Sprint’s limited time pricing, LG V50 ThinQ 5G is just $24 per month with $0 down with Sprint Flex lease – that’s half off the lease price.1 

HTC 5G Hub is exclusive to Sprint in the U.S. This unique and powerful device enables smooth 4K video streaming for an amazing TV viewing experience, lower latency, virtually buffer-free gaming, and 5G mobile hotspot connectivity for up to 20 users in a compact desktop box with a 5-inch display. Within the Wi-Fi radius of HTC 5G Hub, non-5G devices such as laptops, tablets, phones and TVs can easily experience the speed of Sprint 5G. HTC 5G Hub is just $12.50 per month – that’s a savings of 50%. Customers can activate HTC 5G Hub with 100 GB of high-speed data for just $60 per month for a limited time.2

Samsung Galaxy S10 5G – Sprint customers can also experience Sprint 5G on Samsung Galaxy S10 beginning this summer.

Beginning tomorrow, Friday, May 31, LG V50 ThinQ 5G and HTC 5G Hub will be available in retail stores in Houston. Customers in 5G markets can also order 5G-capable products by visiting www.sprint.com or calling 1-800-SPRINT1. Visit www.sprint.com/sprint5G for more information on Sprint 5G coverage.

Unleash the Power of 5G with Unlimited Premium and Hatch

Unlimited Premium is the plan of choice for Sprint’s 5G-enabled phones with Unlimited data, talk and text nationwide, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Twitch Prime, Tidal HiFi and 100GB LTE mobile hotspot. As Sprint’s best Unlimited value, it costs just $80 per month with AutoPay for one line – a value of nearly $150 per month.3

Sprint is collaborating with cloud gaming pioneer Hatch to deliver an unrivalled game-streaming experience. Gamers on Sprint 5G will be among the first in the U.S. to experience Hatch’s mobile 5G cloud gaming service.

Sprint is collaborating with cloud gaming pioneer Hatch to deliver an unrivalled game-streaming experience.

Hatch features unlimited on-demand access to a curated portfolio of more than 100 premium mobile games, including exclusive Hatch Originals like Arkanoid Rising. It also includes a rich social gaming experience – competitive leaderboards and shared gameplay sessions with voice chat and the ability to connect with friends and join live tournaments. Hatch Kids is a safe space for kids to play, create and learn without advertising or in-game purchasing.

#5GForAll

As Sprint launches mobile 5G in metro areas of nine U.S. markets, the company continues to advocate for a merger with T-Mobile to accelerate the deployment of a ubiquitous, nationwide 5G network that includes coverage in rural locations. The combined company will have the resources and technology to build a 5G network that fuels innovation across every industry, dramatically increasing competition, unleashing new economic growth, and creating thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in U.S. economic value. Together, the combined company will lead the world in next-generation technology services and applications, bringing 5G service to nearly all Americans.

Source: Sprint media announcement