Broadband  |  2024-03-29

T-Mobile U.S. Starts with 5G MCPTT Service in April

Source: The Critical Communications Review | Gert Jan Wolf editor

Next month, T-Mobile will commence the deployment of a Mission Critical Push-to-Talk (MCPTT) service, tailored for first responders, government personnel, and other professionals operating in the field.

Next month, T-Mobile will commence the deployment of a Mission Critical Push-to-Talk (MCPTT) service, tailored for first responders, government personnel, and other professionals operating in the field.

This initiative constitutes T-Mobile's entry into the realm of 5G Push-to-Talk (PTT) services, positioning itself to compete with AT&T's FirstNet PTT service and analogous offerings from Verizon. T-Mobile's strategy involves the integration of this service with Motorola Solutions' Critical Connect system, thereby enabling first responders to utilize it alongside durable devices in operational environments. Additionally, the service will be accessible through smartphones and tablets via a designated application.

T-Mobile underscores the efficiency of its new 5G PTT system, noting that it can swiftly establish several hundred user profiles within a single afternoon, as opposed to the protracted timelines typical of such endeavors.

The MCPTT service offers an array of functionalities, including location sharing and real-time video streaming, facilitating prompt updates from the field. Furthermore, T-Mobile guarantees priority connectivity for push-to-talk and data traffic nationwide through its Always-on Wireless Priority Service. Importantly, the MCPTT system seamlessly interoperates with land mobile radio (LMR) systems, extending push-to-talk capabilities to users lacking radios or operating beyond LMR coverage zones.

“PTT is still a major use case today,” Roy Chua, principal at AvidThink told Fierce Wireless in an email. “Anywhere that quick, reliable communication is needed. The industries are the same as when Nextel launched: construction, utilities, transportation hubs and logistics, warehouses, hospitality, emergency services, even universities with sprawling campuses. Even with private 5G, I've seen PTT as a key workload and application for private 5G/CRBS deployments.”

 

 
 

The new service may give T-Mobile some more presence in the public sector space. AT&T with FirstNet and Verizon Frontline are generally seen as the major competitors in the public sector right now.