CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) today announced it’s flipped the switch on new Extended Range LTE for the Chicago metropolitan area, providing supercharged LTE coverage that carries signals twice as far from cell sites and is four times better in buildings than before. To go with this expanded network coverage, the Un-carrier also announced plans to open more than 40 new T-Mobile and MetroPCS stores in the city and suburbs, expanding T-Mobile’s retail footprint in the area by nearly 20%. T-Mobile’s retail and network expansion is expected to generate more than 350 new Chicago-area jobs just this year in retail and network engineering alone.

More Coverage and Capacity in Chicagoland

T-Mobile’s Extended Range LTE signal now blankets Chicago’s downtown, suburban and outlying areas with enhanced LTE coverage and capacity. For Un-carrier customers, that means even better service in areas as far north as Janesville, Wisconsin, and extending west and south past Rockford, DeKalb, Joliet and Kankakee.

“T-Mobile’s network has leapfrogged the competition in just four short years, and now we have the most advanced, fastest LTE in the country – including supercharged Extended Range LTE in the 10 largest U.S. cities,” said Neville Ray, Chief Technology Officer of T-Mobile. “But, we’re just getting started. Every day, we’re building a bigger, better, faster network, and we’ll start lighting up 600 MHz LTE later this year — all meaning T-Mobile and MetroPCS customers can expect an even more amazing experience ahead.”

“With Extended Range LTE, T-Mobile and MetroPCS customers in Chicago can get more reliable coverage indoors and out,” said Jennifer Silveira, Vice President of Engineering for T-Mobile’s Central Region. “Our engineers worked around the clock to bring Extended Range LTE to our Chicagoland customers in record time, just a few months after we acquired the airwaves, and we have even more game-changing network enhancements on the way to boost data speeds even higher, like 256 QAM, three carrier aggregation and 4x4 MIMO.”

In addition, Chicago-area T-Mobile and MetroPCS customers are among the very first to experience T-Mobile’s new small cell network technologies, expanding capacity while delivering the Un-carrier’s super-fast data speeds.

Retail Expansion

The 43 planned Chicagoland retail stores are expected to fill more than 50,000 square feet of retail space in Cook, DuPage and the collar counties. The stores serve individuals, families and small businesses.

“T-Mobile is betting big in Chicago!” said Kenya Dunn, Area Vice President for T-Mobile. “With a better, stronger network and more stores in the Chicago area, we’re giving wireless customers in Chicagoland more choices and more places they can get personalized service from the network with the most satisfied customers in wireless.”

Illinois Gets a Much-Needed Break with T-Mobile ONE

T-Mobile ONE is all unlimited and all in with monthly taxes and fees included. That’s a big deal for wireless customers in Illinois who have the nation’s fourth highest cell phone tax rates – a whopping 17.84% on average! Customers in Illinois can save hundreds every year and avoid the carrier’s bills with all those added monthly taxes and fees. When you sign up for T-Mobile ONE, the price you see is the price you pay for wireless service – just $40 per line for a family of four with AutoPay and not a penny more.

Nationwide, T-Mobile has delivered the fastest LTE network for more than three years in a row. That’s according to millions of crowd-sourced tests and multiple independent studies, including Speedtest.net, Twin Prime and even the FCC. Over the last few years, T-Mobile’s coverage footprint has more than doubled in size, and today, the Un-carrier covers 314 million people – that’s nearly every single person in the country and more than 99% as many people as Verizon covers.

For more information on T-Mobile LTE coverage where you live, work and play, visit www.t-mobile.com/coverage. For more information on the benefits of getting on board with the Un-carrier revolution, visit www.t-mobile.com.

On all T-Mobile plans, if the network becomes intermittently congested, top 3% of data users (>30 GB/mo.) may notice reduced speeds due to prioritization. Video typically streams on smartphone/tablet at DVD quality (480p). Sales tax and regulatory fees included in monthly service price. See in-store materials for specifics in your state. Speeds vary based on device, location, and network conditions; typical download speeds will vary. Capable device required for Extended Range LTE.

About T-Mobile

As America’s Un-carrier, T-Mobile US, Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) is redefining the way consumers and businesses buy wireless services through leading product and service innovation. The Company’s advanced nationwide 4G LTE network delivers outstanding wireless experiences to 71.5 million customers who are unwilling to compromise on quality and value. Based in Bellevue, Washington, T-Mobile US provides services through its subsidiaries and operates its flagship brands, T-Mobile and MetroPCS. For more information, please visit http://www.t-mobile.com.

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