T-Mobile is combining more 5G bands for ridiculously fast network speeds

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

T- Mobile achieved 3Gbps network speeds by combining three channels of mid-band spectrum on its 5G network. This technology will be available to customers on T-Mobile's network later this year, according to the company.

The high-band, limited range kind of 5G that lets you download a movie in seconds is close to becoming a reality. T-Mobile is doing a little tinkering behind the scenes to boost the speeds of mid-band 5G.

Carrier aggregation combines different swaths of spectrum. T-Mobile uses its own spectrum, so don't confuse it with "carrier" The company already uses this technology to combine two 2.5 GHz 5G channels on some parts of its network.

The use of carrier aggregation to show off network speeds is nothing new, as evidenced by the 4.2Gbps network speeds demonstrated by the company in 2020. T-Mobile claims to be the first to use three carrier aggregation on a 5G network with a commercially available device. When 5G arrives in more places later this year, T-Mobile subscribers will be among the first to use it.