Boost Mobile is spending $10 billion on 5G to help distance itself from its MVNO roots

The Boost Mobile of today is a lot more than it was just a couple of years ago, with its own 5G network and competitive unlimited plans. Before T-Mobile completed its takeover of Sprint, Boost was an MVNO offering discount plans on another carrier’s network. These days, Boost’s own native 5G network covers more than 70% of the population, with roaming partners AT&T and T-Mobile picking up the slack.

With its latest plans, Boost has focused more on unlimited data, simple pricing, and deals on phones that can take advantage of its new 5G network. Even so, as a new carrier, it can be hard to pick up momentum. Boost Mobile, however, is continuing to plow forward and in a press release, the carrier has announced in a press release sent to Android Police that it will be investing more than $10 billion into its network in addition to the $30 billion already spent.

Boost’s network investment isn’t slowing down

$30 billion has already been invested

Boost Mobile’s continued investment in its network makes it clear that the carrier intends to drop its previous identity as a value-focused MVNO. Boost Mobile’s 5G network now covers 70% of the population with its cloud-native O-RAN 5G network. Coverage improves to around 99% of the US population when you include its partner coverage.

Boost’s VP of Radio Access Network Engineering, Abbas Khan, said, “Boost Mobile is shaking up the wireless industry as the newest nationwide carrier in the US, providing fast and reliable 5G connectivity at a fraction of the cost compared to other major carriers. With our nationwide cloud-native 5G network now available and 99% coverage across the US, Boost Mobile customers have access to more towers than with any other carrier. There has never been a better time for consumers to switch to Boost Mobile, as consumers can buy the latest smartphones and save up to 40% on their annual wireless bill.”

Boost’s speeds are also solid with Ookla showing faster overall network speeds on Boost than competitors Verizon and AT&T. The same report showed Metro by T-Mobile to be the fastest prepaid carrier, and it must be noted that filtered by 5G results, Verizon pulls ahead. Boost Mobile was previously owned by Dish Wireless until a merger with its sister company EchoStar in late 2023, and EchoStar has agreed to expand coverage to 80% of the US population. Speaking to Android Police, Boost Mobile’s Chris Belter, VP of Wireless Products, said this rollout is squarely in the company’s “line of sight.”

You need 5G to make the most of Boost Mobile

Boost has a new budget 5G phone

Boost Mobile is also offering improved speeds with four-carrier aggregation with four downlink channels and two uplink channels. According to the carrier, this 100MHz of spectrum can deliver speeds up to 1Gbps on compatible phones like the Samsung Galaxy S24 and iPhone 16.

While these two high-end phones are some of the best Android phones you can get, they’re not quite cheap enough to entice all Boost Mobile customers. To help, the carrier is announcing a new 5G phone called Summit 5G with a 6.6-inch display, an octa-core CPU, a 5000mAh battery, and most importantly, a price tag under $100. In fact, this phone will be free for customers who switch and bring their number, or just $20 for customers looking to upgrade. This phone doesn’t support the full carrier aggregation speeds seen on the S24, but still offers 5G support on Boost’s network for a low price.

Of course, some other budget Android phones are available, such as the Moto Razr, Moto G Stylus 5G 2024, and more. If you pick up a phone that costs at least $250, you could get a free year of service on Boost’s $25 unlimited plan. That is if you don’t want to get one of Boost’s Infinite Access plans for $65 per month with a flagship Galaxy or iPhone included.