As 5G moves to the next phase, we are highlighting our 5G Advanced network, which sets T-Mobile apart from others and showcases our technology and leadership, while also featuring powerful capabilities that are groundbreaking in the real world for our customers and partners.
A new chapter of 5G is opening, and T-Mobile is writing the opening lines.
As part of the nationwide rollout of 5G Advanced, we are activating one of its most important features: Low Latency, Low Loss, Scalable Data Transfer (L4S).
L4S consistently offers low latency, minimal packet loss, and real-time responsiveness even under heavy traffic. Cloud gaming, video conferencing, Extended Reality (XR), and even remote driving are significant advancements for performance-focused use cases where every millisecond matters. And it is already proving its worth in real-world trials.
Although L4S has been used in wired environments for years, it had not been widely used in wireless environments—until now. T-Mobile became the first company to deploy L4S at scale in a wireless environment, and we are already seeing the difference it can make.
The L4S Benefit: Exclusive to T-Mobile
While others are still dependent on old 4G/LTE cores, T-Mobile has built a nationwide standalone (SA) 5G network from scratch. Our clean, fully 5G infrastructure provides the flexibility to implement and scale innovations like L4S and lays the groundwork for more advanced capabilities like network slicing.
Since everything goes thru a single, optimized 5G core, we can deploy programmable features like L4S at scale and lay the groundwork for advanced network slicing and differentiated service layers.
As part of our broader efforts toward a programmable 5G network, we are also testing L4S to explore how real-time network data can be surfaced and how it can improve the application experiences of our partners and other innovators. The full value of this work is starting to emerge right here.
Vay’s Remote Driving: Accuracy From Miles Away
Imagine controlling a vehicle from a completely different location. By partnering with Vay, a Berlin-based company developing automotive-grade remote driving technology, we demonstrated what L4S can do in high-risk, low-latency scenarios.
Vay’s remote drivers experience a predictable and consistent latency using our 5G Advanced network with L4S. Remote drivers said they felt physically present in the vehicle even in dense traffic and congested scenarios. This kind of ultra-low latency and response speed is game-changing for mobility, logistics, and time-critical safety applications.
XR Trials with Qualcomm and Ericsson: Immersion, Without the Nausea
XR is poised to transform how we work, play and connect — but latency and jitter have long held it back. In recent tests with Qualcomm and Ericsson, we used a slim smart glasses form factor to put L4S to work on our 5G SA network.
The outcomes? very smooth frame delivery, crystal-clear images, and a marked decrease in motion sickness and vertigo. These tests highlight how L4S might help mainstream XR transition from niche to mainstream, particularly in consumer contexts where continuity and comfort are crucial.
Cloud Gaming: Providing Mobile with Console-Like Performance
Cloud gaming needs fast reactions and zero interruptions. L4S is already helping deliver that.
NVIDIA has publicly enabled L4S support on GeForce NOW, which helps reduce latency and packet loss during gaming. When combined with T-Mobile’s 5G Advanced network, players get a powerful formula that offers smooth controls, less stuttering, and a gaming experience closer to that of a local game console even under network congestion.
L4S helps keep gamers locked in and lag-free.
FaceTime and Video Calling: Seamless Conversations, No matter where you are!
Whether you’re having a FaceTime call or wandering thru a crowded airport terminal, L4S helps keep your connection clear and crisp. By dynamically adapting to network congestion, it reduces stuttering, frozen frames, and distorted audio; thus, making real-time communication smooth and reliable.
We tested the applicability of L4S in real-world use cases like video calls. This is another example of how T-Mobile’s 5G Advanced innovations can enhance the everyday moments people rely on.
Built for What’s Next
And we’re just getting started. L4S will serve as a fundamental input for our network slicing framework; XR will provide smarter decisions and more adaptable performance layers for gaming, video, and other latency-sensitive use cases.
Soon, these capabilities will expand to corporate offerings and unlock ultra-responsive experiences across industries. Commercial deployments will happen very soon, and we are excited to bring this technology even closer to our customers.
With L4S included in 3GPP Release 18 and our currently active 5G Advanced network, T-Mobile continues to push the boundaries of programmability in line with our vision of a smarter and more responsive network.
We help our partners, such as Vay, Apple, and others, to maximize the instantaneous performance of their applications by communicating real-time network conditions over L4S (e.g., radio load, or how crowded a base station’s radio is). A programmable network functions in this manner.
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