T-Mobile is getting ready to say goodbye to its 4G LTE network much sooner than most people expected. The carrier is planning to convert most of its LTE service to 5G over the next few years, which means some older phones will eventually stop working on the network.
According to The Mobile Report, which obtained a leaked internal document, T-Mobile will start “re-farming” its LTE frequencies to broadcast 5G signals instead. The process kicks off in January 2026 when business customers will need special approval to activate devices that only work on LTE or older 5G technology.
The change won’t happen overnight. T-Mobile plans to keep a small slice of LTE service running until 2035 for devices that absolutely need it, like ATMs and older car systems. But by 2028, most of the network will have switched to 5G, and whatever LTE remains will be significantly slower and less reliable than it is today.
So which phones are at risk? If you’re using an LTE-only device (including many flip phones), you’ll need to upgrade eventually. But here’s the surprising part: some early 5G phones will also have problems. Devices like the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G and LG V50 ThinQ use something called “5G Non-Standalone,” which needs both LTE and 5G signals to work. Once LTE goes away in your area, these phones won’t be able to connect properly either.
The good news is that most smartphones sold since 2020 support “5G Standalone,” which means they’ll work fine through the transition. If you bought your phone in the last few years, you probably don’t need to worry. T-Mobile is making this change to free up valuable spectrum for faster 5G service.
The company will convert its current LTE bands to 5G bands—turning Band 2 into 5G Band n2 and Band 4/66 into n66, for example. For most people, this should mean better 5G coverage and faster speeds over time.
T-Mobile told various media outlets that the full transition is “years and years” away, but the company is clearly laying the groundwork now. If you’re still using an older device, it might be worth thinking about an upgrade sooner rather than later.
Source: The Mobile Report