It can be difficult to keep up with the latest in mobile technology, particularly if you don’t work in the industry. If you are one of the people who still think 4G LTE is the latest and greatest in mobile networks it’s time to think again. AT&T recently announced that they are planning on deploying their 5G mobile network to various segments of the U.S. population by the end of 2018.
This announcement comes hot on the heels of 3GPP announcing that they had completed necessary elements of 5G radio standards. Those radio elements gave AT&T what they needed to move forward with 5G mobile servers. Said the company: “With these specifications now available, hardware, chipset and device manufacturers can start development. This allows us to provide mobile 5G services sooner. We’re confident this latest standards milestone will allow us to bring 5G to market faster without compromising its long-term vision.”
AT&T has already been testing fixed wireless 5G networks in Austin and Waco Texas; Kalamazoo, Michigan; and South Bend, Indiana. However, it’s the mobile wireless 5G networks that are really going to make a difference in the day-to-day life of most of their consumers.
What exactly will a 5G mobile network do? Most importantly, it will deliver considerably faster data speeds for all devices that utilize the network. Not only that, but a 5G mobile network will also support lower latencies, which is crucial for speeding up video content on mobile devices. Of course the technology will also bring with a multitude of uses that haven’t even been discovered yet.
While AT&T has not released any specific timing other than “late 2018” or provided any details on which specific devices will be able to handle the new network. We do now know that it is finally coming at some point this year.
Sources:
http://www.multichannel.com/news/platforms/att-preparing-mobilize-5g/417330
