T-Mobile says 30 cities will get 5G this year -- but don't get too excited just yet

The race to 5G is officially on.

Today, T-Mobile became the latest major carrier to announce plans for the beginnings of its first 5G network. The carrier says it will have 5G-ready networks in a number of U.S. cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Dallas, by the end of the year.

But T-Mobile customers shouldn't get too excited just yet. Though the company plans to have networks ready in 2018, the reality is that most subscribers won't see the benefits of the blazing-fast 5G speeds for some time.

That's because the first 5G-ready phones aren't expected to hit the market until 2019. And though a number of phone-makers have committed to having a 5G capable handset next year, many phones likely still won't support the technology. And two of the biggest names, Apple and Samsung, have so far remained silent about their plans for 5G phones.

Still, T-Mobile's announcement should come as good news for those who want to see 5G sooner, rather than later. The company didn't detail all 30 cities where it plans to bring its 5G networks first, but it said subscribers in New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Dallas will be making the first to have access once the first 5G-ready devices hit the market next year.

T-Mobile's announcement comes on the heels of a similar announcement from AT&T, which announced plans for 5G in 12 U.S cities next year.