T-Mobile USA plans to spend $40bn over the next 3-4 years on upgrading at least 50,000 cell sites, to expand 4G and 5G coverage deep into rural areas, and reach 50% of US households with fixed wireless broadband services including TV. Neville Ray, the operator’s president of technology, told an investor conference last week that TMO has activated the first elements of its 5G Standalone RAN and core, while its cell site upgrade program is accelerating despite the Covid-19 pandemic and recession. The merger with Sprint brought the much-needed midband spectrum to the TMO portfolio. “I wake up in the morning, there’s a smile on my face because I’ve finally got a great set of spectrum assets and I’ve been…