T-Mobile US is preparing to deploy 5G service on 600 MHz spectrum later this year. The mobile network operator today, with an assist from Qualcomm and Ericsson, took another step toward that goal by achieving what the companies called “the world’s first low-band 5G data session on a commercial 5G modem” at T-Mobile’s lab in Bellevue, Washington.

Riding on commercial 5G radios from Ericsson, the data session was completed with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X55 5G modem on T-Mobile’s 600 MHz spectrum. Qualcomm’s modem, which supports 5G on 600 MHz, will be available in devices later this year.

T-Mobile US, which is currently working with Ericsson and Nokia on its entire 5G build, has been busy of late. Amid a prolonged battle to gain regulatory approval for its merger with Sprint the company has been trying to balance and strategically approach its 5G prospects with or without Sprint.

When T-Mobile US took what it called “a small step toward 5G for all” late last month, it was the last of the four nationwide carriers to deploy 5G services. Much like its competitors — AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon — initial 5G coverage is limited. T-Mobile launched 5G service in parts of six cities: Atlanta, Cleveland, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and New York.

After aggressively promoting its 600 MHz holdings and comparing the potential reach of that low-band spectrum with early 5G deployments from Verizon and AT&T on millimeter wave spectrum, T-Mobile downshifted and opted to rely on similar high-band spectrum for its initial 5G launch after all. That decision took some by surprise, but it also appears to be the fastest way for T-Mobile to go live with 5G service.

When it comes to 5G, something is better than nothing. 5G reaches very few customers today, but none of the mobile network operators want to be too far behind their competitors. Although it was late to 5G, T-Mobile is poised to gain significant momentum and jump into the lead relatively soon.

“Ultimately it will work out in [T-Mobile’s] favor because they will probably have a nationwide 5G network before their competitors because of their 600 MHz holdings,” said Anshel Sag, analyst at Moor Insights and Strategy. “That 600 MHz spectrum with 5G New Radio (NR) (new radio) will be their ace in the hole for delivering automotive and IoT kind of applications because everybody else is going to have problems covering enough space and enough penetration to really claim robust coverage on 5G.”

Sag says it doesn’t make sense to compare each operators’ 5G coverage for at least another year, but T-Mobile’s 5G network in New York City already stands out. “New York and Manhattan may actually be the most broad 5G coverage of any city with 5G today” making it “one of the best networks in the world,” he said.

“Whenever T-Mobile rolls out any new technology New York is always going to have the best because their spectrum holdings are solid there and the sites they have there are impeccable,” Sag said. “Manhattan is the perfect example of why you want millimeter wave for 5G because it’s perfect for a dense urban area when you have the right network topology.”

Although T-Mobile was the last nationwide carrier to launch 5G, it did deploy a “bit more mature of a network,” Sag explained. Verizon and AT&T took a much different tact when both rushed to be first, but “that did not help the industry or the perception of 5G at all,” Sag said. “T-Mobile’s patience and the fact that they’re really able to deliver and almost blanket Manhattan kind of proves that they have the right mindset.”

Sag also found it particularly telling that T-Mobile US is putting its early 5G coverage maps front and center. “It’s trying to sell the case for buying Sprint,” he said. “[T-Mobile] did these maps to show how spotty it is right now and how much better it could be if they’re able to acquire Sprint.”