AT&T Will Introduce Mobile 5G in 12 Cities in 2018

From Sept. 10, 2018 Press release here.

2018: Seven Initial Cities (all over)

. . . where AT&T has already announced plans to launch mobile 5G in 2018

  1. Atlanta, GA
  2. Charlotte, NC
  3. Dallas, TX
  4. Indianapolis, IN
  5. Oklahoma City, OK
  6. Raleigh, NC
  7. Waco, TX

2018: Five More Cities (some parts only)

. . . where AT&T AT&T plans to introduce mobile 5G in 2018

  1. Houston, TX
  2. Jacksonville, FL
  3. Louisville, KY
  4. New Orleans, LA
  5. San Antonio, TX

2019: Seven More Cities (some parts only)

. . . where AT&T AT&T plans to introduce mobile 5G in 2019

  1. Las Vegas, TX
  2. Los Angeles, FL
  3. Nashville, KY
  4. Orlando, LA
  5. San Diego, TX
  6. San Francisco
  7. San Jose

Over the weekend, in Waco, Texas, working with our key technology collaborators, we made the world’s first wireless 5G data transfer over millimeter wave using standards-based, production equipment with a mobile form factor device. Not a lab. Not preproduction hardware. Not emulators. And fully compliant with global standards.

How AT&T Is Doing It

AT&T’s 5G deployment strategy will include using millimeter wave spectrum to deploy 5G in pockets of dense areas – where demand on our network is high and extra capacity and coverage is needed most.

In other parts of urban areas and in suburban and rural areas, we plan to deploy 5G on our mid and low-band spectrum holdings. We’ve been encouraged by the performance of mmWave in our 5G trials and found that it performs better than expected and is successful in delivering ultra-high wireless speeds under a variety of conditions.

In addition, our foundational 5G Evolution technology is now live in more than 200 markets, reaching 400+ markets this year. 5G Evolution markets are locations where we’ve deployed the latest technologies that enable peak theoretical wireless speeds about 400 megabits per second on capable devices. Actual speeds are lower and will vary.

For this weekend’s successful Waco activation, our engineering teams used a Qualcomm Technologies’ smartphone form factor test device with integrated Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ X50 5G modem and RF subsystem and Ericsson 5G-NR capable radios connected to our virtual 3X standards compliant core. This helps us to ensure that when smartphones and other mobile devices are available to consumers, our mobile 5G network will be ready to go.

AT&T has selected Ericsson, Nokia, and Samsung as its technology suppliers. Working with these three suppliers, AT&T has already started deploying 3GPP Release 15 compliant equipment in a handful of our early 5G cities.