Today, February 21, AT&T revealed via a blog its plans to offer mobile 5G across the USA starting the year-end. It will begin with the cities of Dallas, Atlanta, and Waco, Texas, and will be announced in other cities soon.
In order to implement its plans, the carrier is opening a new lab in Austin dedicated to mobile 5G. The tests conducted there will help them provide the service via standard-based 5G mobile deployments.
One inceptive in-house project of the lab is the ANTS (Advanced 5G NR Testbed System), which is the first-of-its-kind 5G testbed system, and bears the original signature of the company. The technology will help test unique and progressive features on the simulated 5G network for eventual standardization and usage of the commercial network.
The company shared further details of its plans on the blog.
AT&T is the first U.S. carrier to announce 5G plans in 2018 and is going through an ‘aggressive schedule’ for implementations. It is to bring 5G capable mobiles and smartphones starting in early 2019.
Igal Elbaz, Senior VP, Wireless Network Architecture Design division, said they are to bring the service “much sooner than most people thought possible.” Last spring saw the company launch 5G Evolution which was the primary foundation of the network service. It as well launched LTE-LAA (LTE-Licensed Assisted Access) last fall in Indianapolis, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
The AT&T 5G mobile service will be based on 3GPP standards operating over the mmWave spectrum, with additional spectrum brands following in the future. The deployment of the 5G network will be ‘seamlessly’ integrated with existing LTE technologies with a non-standalone configuration based on 3GPP version 15. Equipment being deployed on the LTE network will enable the company to migrate to 5G with ease.
AT&T is further keeping its faith in infusing 5G with SDN, as virtualized and software-driven network helps expand on relevant applications faster than hardware-based counterparts. Its plans include virtualizing three-fourths of its network by 2020. As a refresher, they targeted 55% for 2017 and achieved the same.
The company is as well to“reach theoretical peak speeds of multiple gigabits per second on devices through mobile 5G.” Additionally, it will ensure lower latency rates. Putting the two together will open doors for newer experiences for the users.
To make this possible, users need mobile 5G ‘powered by SDN and edge computing.’ The service provider is working on cloud developments to suit these needs. Their works further include exploring possibilities for the 5G network in business ‘across all industries.’
AT&T aims to establish a lengthy leadership in providing 5G network services, and it seems to surpass just mobile devices in the foreseeable future. Stay with us to remain updated on its next moves regarding 5G provisions in the U.S.
