Excellent mobile coverage is achieved when the information super highway is wide open.
To meet growing demands, T-Mobile constantly expands the mobile highway
Capacity

Standard antenna facilities are known for providing broad coverage.
Macro Sites

We constantly add capacity, coverage and speed to our network: antennas, radios, land-based equipment & more.
Full Data
& Voice Path

Cell Site

A traditional cell site includes an antenna structure with multiple antennas connected to low powered radio transmitters and receivers. Antennas are usually located 50’ to 150’ above ground level.

Base Station

Base stations house radio transceivers and amplifiers that provide linkage to the site's antennas and to the high-speed connections (usually fiber optic cable) back to legacy telephone system.

Fiber Backhaul

High-speed connectivity from cell sites back to the core telecommunications network is called “backhaul.” Fiber optic cable is the fastest technology and is usually used to handle the most data (think 12-lane superhighway).
Microwave Backhaul

In some instances – especially when sending signals over long distances in rural areas, or in places where fiber optic cable is not a viable option – T-Mobile uses very fast and highly dependable microwave transmissions for backhaul.

Switch

Switches channel incoming data from multiple locations and send the information to its intended destination.
Circuit-switching – used for voice connections – allows for a continuously connected, dedicated path from one caller to another.
Packet-switching – used for data (texts, pictures, video, etc.) – divides a message into packets that travel on the same paths and at the same time for all network users.

Public Telephone Network

Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) refers to all the voice-oriented public telephone networks – both commercial and government-operated – that have evolved since the beginning of telephony. Telephone calls from mobile phones are routed onto the POTS via the switch.
Topography
Man-made Obstacles
Signal Handoff
Property Availability
Regulatory Factors
Small cells — deployed on buildings, utility poles, bus stops, & in the public right-of-way — are key to 4G and future 5G networks.
Special
Conditions
Small
Cells
DAS
Networks
Personal &
Public Safety

Specialized coverage needs — in stadiums, offices, across university campuses — demand specialized networks.
Small Cell Benefits
& Challenges

T-Mobile considers all the factors before determining the proper site solution.












Get more facts about how mobile works.

Typical installations… have shown ground-level power densities are thousands of times less than FCC’s limits.
Public Safety

Nearly half of U.S. households are wireless-only homes, making signal strength a priority for home buyers and renters.
FAQs & Resources

Expert site developers & radio engineers choose the best technologies and designs for T-Mobile's Data Strong network.
Technology Choices Facts
