AT&T on Friday issued a press release detailing its 5G network roadmap. The carrier says it is partnering with Ericsson and Intel to work on 5G solutions in its labs starting in Q2 of this year, and it hopes to be ready for outdoor tests and trials by early summer.
5G speeds are expected to be 10-100 times faster than current 4G LTE connections. AT&T says customers will see speeds measured in gigabits per second, not megabits. For reference, at one gigabit per second, you can download a TV show in less than 3 seconds.
“New experiences like virtual reality, self-driving cars, robotics, smart cities and more are about to test networks like never before,” said John Donovan, Chief Strategy Officer and Group President, AT&T Technology and Operations. “These technologies will be immersive, pervasive and responsive to customers. 5G will help make them a reality. 5G will reach its full potential because we will build it on a software-centric architecture that can adapt quickly to new demands and give customers more control of their network services.”
The company hopes it will be delivering 5G connectivity to fixed locations in Austin before the end of this year, but does not mention when it will be available for a wider rollout. The tech is still very much in its infancy, as it is with Verizon and other major carriers.
Source: AT&T