Executives from T-Mobile US insisted customers of its newly rebranded prepaid arm Metro won’t be left behind as its post paid customers gain access to 5G, committing to offer the same service on prepaid in 2019.

“When we talk about 5G for all, it’s not just nationwide 5G service but it’s all shades of T-Mobile,” CTO Neville Ray said in a statement. “Metro by T-Mobile customers deserve access to the latest technology, and we’ll make sure they get it”.

T-Mobile talked up the 5G commitment as the first from a US prepaid operator. But the pledge is also notable because adoption of new technology iterations typically lags in the prepaid segment.

The operator is already building its 5G network, primarily using 600MHz spectrum, though it will also use mid-band and mmWave assets in urban areas.

Ray told Mobile World Live in September he expects the network to be ready before 5G devices hit the market in early 2019. However, it is unclear from the Metro announcement how soon after T-Mobile’s post paid 5G launch prepaid customers will gain access.