Today marks a significant step on the road to 5G with approval of the Standalone (SA) 5G new radio (NR) specification at the 3GPP TSG RAN#80 plenary meeting in La Jolla, CA. As an active participant in 3GPP, Sprint assisted in the development of this worldwide 5G standard.

“Completion of the spec is a tremendous accomplishment and we congratulate 3GPP and its delegates on this important milestone,” Dr. John Saw, Sprint CTO. “We’re honored to help build this next generation of wireless networks that will accelerate new levels of global innovation and progress.”

Sprint plans to deploy the first mobile 5G network in the U.S. in the first half of 2019. Sprint’s initial 5G launch cities will include Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix and Washington, D.C.

Sprint will launch its mobile 5G network using its 2.5 GHz spectrum (n41) and the Non-Standalone 5G NR specification. SA 5G NR is part of the company’s long-term roadmap, and Sprint is working with its suppliers for end-to-end availability of SA 5G NR.

About Sprint:

Sprint (NYSE: S) is a communications services company that creates more and better ways to connect its customers to the things they care about most. Sprint served 54.6 million connections as of March 31, 2018 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; leading no-contract brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. Today, Sprint’s legacy of innovation and service continues with an increased investment to dramatically improve coverage, reliability, and speed across its nationwide network and commitment to launching the first 5G mobile network in the U.S. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com orwww.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.