The death knell for 4G networks may be ringing soon as T-Mobile is reportedly going to phase out 4G coverage starting in 2026, making LTE-only devices obsolete.
According to a leaked document discovered by The Mobile Report, the network carrier is set to transition away from 4G next year, which will include ending support for 5G non-standalone (5G NSA) devices as well.
The older 2G and 3G networks started shutting down in 2022, with T-Mobile only just ending its 2G network in February of this year. Doing away with the older networks opened up frequencies for 4G and 5G migration, improving the reach of the newer networks.
Per the document, T-Mobile has already started dismantling its 4G network with plans to use those frequencies for 5G over the next two years to support 5G Standalone (5G SA). Currently, 5G SA is the main version of 5G and doesn't rely on 4G infrastructure.
The document notes that LTE will exist on T-Mobile networks until 2035 to support legacy devices, likely IoT products and industrial applications, but performance will be significantly degraded.
How does this affect your device?
The first 5G phones started showing up in 2019, and most handsets available today are built for 5G. If you've bought a new phone in the last three to four years, the disappearance of 4G shouldn't affect your device at all since it's likely already 5G-capable.
During the 2G/3G transition, T-Mobile offered compatible devices, so it could do something similar for people on 4G or 5G NSA phones. What the dismantling of 4G should do is speed up 5G, giving the network access to more channels and frequencies.
Currently, T-Mobile's network has 600 MHz n71 (low-band 5G) and 2500 MHz (mid-band 5G) frequencies. The older 4G network uses 2, 4/66, 12, and some 71 frequencies; removing 4G opens those up to new 5G bands.
One example of an older device (which I still have) is the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, which supports 5G NSA and requires an LTE and 5G signal to work, but does not support 5G SA.
Additionally, many 'dumb' phones like flip phones only support LTE. T-Mobile currently sells a TCL flip that cannot connect to 5G.
A stepping stone to 6G
The retirement of 4G on T-Mobile's network should be mostly completed in 2028, just in time for the arrival of 6G. Qualcomm has already promised that it will have 6G devices ready by 2028. Though the standard isn't expected to take effect until 2030.
Apple has reportedly been working on 6G since at least 2021. And a study from October of 2024 found that 6G is 9000 times faster than 5G, capable of sending 1TB of data per second over the network.
It's expected that 6G will most likely be built on top of existing 5G infrastructure. That said, reportedly, T-Mobile didn't use legacy 4G infrastructure to bring 5G to its customers starting in 2020. This means that it will be easier for T-Mobile to switch off 4G in favor of 5G.
As for AT&T and Verizon, those companies did use legacy 4G infrastructure so it may take them longer to transition the network.
T-Mobile's response
Tom's Guide reached out to T-Mobile for comment on its plans for LTE and the veracity of the document. A spokesperson did not comment on the document itself but implied that an LTE phase out is not coming in the near future.
"Someday far in the future – years and years from now – we’ll likely consolidate older technologies like LTE to make room for the latest and greatest, including 5G and beyond," Anushka Bishen, senior communications manager for T-Mobile, said. "For now, the T-Mobile network...has more than enough capacity to handle the heavy data demands of the modern wireless user."
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