LOS ANGELES – Sprint expanded the reach of its nascent 5G network, though that expansion is limited to just more coverage within the nine markets that is been offering that service. However, the move does at least show some action within the carrier that is operating under a significant level of uncertainty.

At this week’s MWC Los Angeles event, the carrier said its 5G network now covers about 16 million people, an increase from the approximately 11 million people it covered initially with the service. That expansion is wholly within its initial launch markets of Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix, and Washington, D.C.

The carrier explained that it has turned on more cell sites in those markets that are powered by its mid-band 2.5 GHz spectrum and fed that coverage expansion. But it did not provide any update on the 2,100 square miles of coverage it claimed for its initial deployment. That footprint is extensive compared to what its rivals are offering, but Sprint’s 5G network is available in fewer markets than many of those competitors.

Sprint has been tight lipped on its market expansion plans. That decision has moved alongside the long-running soap opera that is its potential acquisition by T-Mobile US.

The deal recently received a rubber stamp from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that went along with gaining previous approval from the Department of Justice (DoJ). But closing on that deal is being held up by a lawsuit filed by a group of state attorneys general that want to block the transaction.

In the meantime, Sprint’s 5G plans have stagnated due to uncertainty over who will be signing the checks. The carrier has warned that it might not be able to expand its 5G coverage without the deal, which some analysts have linked to its dire financial position.

“Sprint does not have national 5G capability simply because they’re only in nine markets and they don’t have capex to build out in all the 2.5 GHz markets,” explained William Ho, founder and principal analyst at 556 Ventures.