Boost Mobile says it’s a real wireless carrier now

Remember the race to 5G? | Image: The Verge

Boost Mobile has announced it is on its way to meeting FCC coverage deadlines by the end of the year and says it has earned the title of MNO — Mobile Network Operator — rather than MVNO, which is a virtual network operator mainly reselling service from other carriers. Mission... accomplished? Sort of. It’s progress, at least.

Boost, you will remember, is supposed to be our nation’s fourth wireless carrier thanks to a wonky deal that allowed T-Mobile to buy Sprint. Dish Network — now owned by EchoStar — bought the brand as part of the deal and is required by the FCC to hit certain milestones in its 5G network buildout to hold up its part of the bargain. Last June, it was required to cover 70 percent of the US population; by the end of the...

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