T-Mobile has already begun rolling out 2.5GHz 5G in Philadelphia, using the spectrum it gained in the Sprint merger.

2.5GHz spectrum sits squarely in the mid-range—between the slower but far-reaching low-band and the faster but short-range mmWave—and is considered the sweet spot for 5G. Mid-range spectrum offers substantially better speeds than 4G LTE, while at the same time providing good range and building penetration.

Even more than the subscriber base, gaining access to Sprint’s wealth of mid-range spectrum was the real benefit of the merger between the third and fourth carriers. Sprint’s mid-range spectrum puts T-Mobile in the lead, in terms of how much spectrum it has available, and gives it the most comprehensive 5G portfolio.

The company is wasting no time deploying the new spectrum, rolling it out in Philadelphia the very same day the deal closed, according to a tweet by Neville Ray, T-Mobile President of Technology.

We’ll move FAST to bring the @TMobile and @Sprint networks together and build #5GforAll. How fast? New T-Mobile is already deploying midband 5G spectrum in Philly. And we’re just getting started.

Neville (@NevilleRay) April 1, 2020

This is good news for all of T-Mobile’s customers, both old and new, and not so good news for Verizon and AT&T.