T-Mobile US Inc. has jumped to an early lead in the race to offer 5G service nationwide, a step toward showing it can be a serious competitor to larger rivals if it gains approval for its $26.5 billion takeover of Sprint Corp.
Starting Friday, when T-Mobile stores begin offering their first two 5G phones, the service will be available across the U.S. But it won’t be the 5G experience that carriers have been promising: The service is on a low-band signal, which provides broad coverage but not blazing speeds.
