AT&T's 'Real' Low-Band 5G Network Launches Today In 10 U.S. Cities
AT&T today, however, has announced its standard 5G service that will be accessible by the vast majority of Americans as the network builds out. This 5G network makes use of low-band frequencies (850MHz spectrum) and has a much broader coverage area than the company's 5G+ network. Whereas 5G+ can over cover a distance of about 1,000 feet, 5G has a range of around 2 miles according to AT&T.
AT&T's 5G network is available today in the following cities:
- Birmingham, Ala.
- Indianapolis
- Los Angeles
- Milwaukee
- Pittsburgh
- Providence, R.I.
- Rochester, N.Y.
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose, Calif.
AT&T is stating that 5G will be a boon for residential, suburban, and rural coverage, while 5G+ will be available at stadiums, shopping centers, universities, and other public venues. With respect to speeds, we don't expect for AT&T's low-band 5G network to offer speeds approaching 1Gbps -- at least initially -- but speeds should be faster than 4G LTE at between 200Mbps to 400Mbps depending on a number of variables.
“With the launch of AT&T 5G for consumers, we’re bringing our customers new and innovative ways to connect with each other, their entertainment and their communities,” said Kevin Petersen, SVP for AT&T Mobility. “Today’s launch sets the stage for the development of new and immersive experiences as we prepare to deliver AT&T 5G nationwide in the coming months.”
Further complimenting AT&T's "5G" waters is that it also has 5G Evolution, aka 5G E. However, 5G E is simply "fake 5G" as it is basically 4G LTE Evolution rebranded to jump on the 5G bandwagon.
You can see AT&T's coverage map for 5G availability here [PDF], and the company announced that shipments of its version of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 5G commenced today.
