Boost Mobile wants everyone to know it’s no longer just a “virtual” carrier borrowing networks from the big guys like T-Mobile and AT&T. It’s now standing on its own two feet as a full-on Mobile Network Operator (MNO) with its own 5G network!
What’s the Big Deal?
Boost Mobile started out as an MVNO, which is just a fancy way of saying it was “renting” network space from other carriers. But now, Boost has been building its own 5G network and is on track to cover 80% of the U.S. population by the end of this year. Last year, they covered 70%, and this year they’ve already switched on more than 20,000 of the 24,000 cell sites they promised to have by 2025.
From Borrower to Owner
So, why the change? It all started when T-Mobile merged with Sprint back in 2020. As part of the deal, Dish Network bought Boost Mobile. But things got a little complicated—Dish got some network goodies like wireless spectrum and also borrowed T-Mobile’s network while setting up its own towers. Fast forward to now: Dish has been bought by EchoStar, and the Boost network is finally growing fast!
Boost’s new network uses cool tech like Open RAN and some super-fast 5G speeds that reach up to 1 Gbps (yep, that’s gigabit speed). But for now, they still use T-Mobile and AT&T in areas where their own coverage isn’t ready yet.
What’s This Mean for You?
If you’re already a Boost Mobile or Ting Mobile customer, your phone might be using Boost’s new towers without you even knowing it. That means better speeds and connections, especially if you’re in one of the areas covered by their new 5G towers. Plus, if you’re thinking about getting a new phone, Boost has some holiday deals like a free year of service with the purchase of certain phones. (Who doesn’t like free stuff?)
But Are They Really Competing with the Big Guys?
Well, Boost has come a long way, but it still has a way to go. They currently have about 7.28 million subscribers, which is small potatoes compared to T-Mobile’s whopping 127 million. But hey, they’re making moves. They’ve already moved over half a million customers to their new network this year and are bringing in new users directly onto their own system.
So, is Boost Mobile officially one of the big players now? Kind of! They’re getting there, and it’s exciting to see what happens next as they keep expanding.
Stay tuned to see if Boost can truly shake things up in the wireless world.
