This is particularly impactful to me. My family was on sprint for so long we had employee discounts. Every so often they'd raise the plan's data cap and cost. Whatever. Eventually they merged. All was fine. Then, t-mobile started hounding us to switch phones. They all worked fine but they insisted they were getting rid of 4G. I just kept saying "no you're not". Eventually they forced a phone switch (at least it was free). That was 2.5 years ago. And still they're threatening it but haven't done it, and still their 5G coverage isn't everywhere I've been. Every time I see my phone flip to 4G I think about my trusty old phone decaying in a drawer

Worth nothing they are not going 5G only. But 5G Standalone, which I believe is not part of the early 3GPP Spec and not every 5G phone supports it.

This may be the first 5GSA only network in the world, even before China Mobile which has many first in 5G like moving to VoNR.

Unpopular opinion on HN. I am looking forward to 5GSA only network and finally see all the potential of Massive MIMO along with other 5G features.