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The fifth-largest operator in the US has paired with the Korean tech giant for 5G and 4G LTE network solutions
With the merger of Sprint and T-Mobile now seemingly going ahead, US Cellular is set to become the nation’s fourth largest operator. However, the difference in scale between the companies remains enormous, with US Cellular struggling to keep the pace with 5G.
Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, and AT&T all started rolling out 5G last year, but US Cellular’s rollout, initially scheduled for the second half of 2019, has been delayed until March this year.
Perhaps in an effort to remedy the situation and accelerate deployment, it was announced at the weekend that US Cellular will be adding Samsung to its roster of 5G vendors, alongside Nokia and Ericsson.
Samsung will also be working with the operator to facilitate its 4G LTE networks, increasing its overall coverage.
“We are excited at the prospect of working with Samsung to extend groundbreaking 4G LTE and 5G technology to our customers, expanding what is possible in consumer experiences and business applications,” said Mike Irizarry, executive vice president and chief technology officer of US Cellular.
Although overshadowed globally by the dominant triumvirate of Huawei, Ericsson, and Nokia, Samsung is slowly raising its profile in the US market, already working with Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T.
T-Mobile, on the other hand, has yet to announce the selection of Samsung for any of its projects but has been testing its gear. Following the merger with Sprint, it seems likely that the new joint entity, still to be called T-Mobile, will continue business with Samsung to some degree.
US Cellular’s first 5G network is scheduled to go live in parts of Iowa and Wisconsin on the 7th of March.
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