T-Mobile owns the PCS G-block across the contiguous U.S. so they can just use that spectrum to broadcast direct to cell. Ideally your phone would only connect to it in areas where there isn't any terrestrial service available.
So how does this whole direct to satellite thing fit in with the way it works now? Carriers spend billions for licenses for specific areas. So now T-Mobile can offer service direct to customers without having a Terrestrial license first?
I wouldn’t be shocked if it’s Verizon, too. In my area they have multiple nodes on the same block as full macro sites with mmWave, in direct line of sight.
If the small cell is Crown Castle I'd be surprised if it's AT&T since they seem to exclusively use Extenet and ZenFi in the outer boroughs with the exception of Staten Island where they have a bunch of super old Crown Castle NG small cells using the Wide-Area DAS cell numbering scheme.
I'll try to pass by with an AT&T phone to map it later this week.
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