T-Mobile's Metro Brand Promises 5G Wireless Service in 2019

The newly renamed carrier was officially launched on Monday, as part of MetroPCS's attempt to change what many people see as a negative view of the "prepaid wireless" category. As previously announced, T-Mobile's prepaid mobile operator not only changed its name, but also introduced new unlimited mobile phone plans offering benefits via Amazon Prime and Google One.

More: MetroPCS from T-Mobile changes name and adds unlimited appeal: Amazon Prime and Google One

Delivering 5G, another step toward changing long-standing perceptions, blurs the already blurred line between traditional postpaid wireless and prepaid.

If Metro fulfills this promise, it will go a long way toward building prepaid reputation, which many people associate with less-than-remarkable network coverage and cheaper phones. No matter the reality: MetroPCS customers benefit from cellular service on the same network as ordinary T-Mobile customers.

And the 5G itself is about ultra-fast wireless speeds and low latency (a measure of network responsiveness), with the first Verizon deployments focusing more on 5G as a broadband alternative to the home. Once the 5G wireless is ubiquitous outside the home, you will need a new handset capable of fully exploiting the latest networks. These should begin to appear next year.

T-Mobile, of course, is currently seeking government approval for its merger with Sprint, even as it fights Verizon and AT & T to launch and broadcast the 5G to the US. national scale.