5G Mobile Networks Will Be Available In 12 Cities In 2018, AT&T Claims

Fast 5G networks will soon roll out in U.S. markets, and AT&T could be the first to do so, the company claims. By the end of this year, people in 12 American cities should be experiencing a much faster mobile network speed if AT&T pushes through with their plans.

How fast the internet connection will be for mobile devices once AT&T launches the 5G network remains unclear. Depending on the systems used, the networks are expected to be at least 10 times and could be up to 100 times faster than the current 4G networks, reports Daily Mail.

AT&T Technology and Operations President Melissa Arnoldi confirmed the news in a press release, adding that the speed of the 5G networks will “ultimately deliver and enhance experiences like virtual reality, future driverless cars, immersive 4K video, and more.”

While it’s exciting for consumers to have an ultra-speed mobile internet connection, AT&T hasn’t provided the exact date to expect the 5G network rollout, the type of devices that will be compatible with the new speed, and the exact markets where 5G will launch.

Apart from the true 5G mobile network, the U.S. wireless carrier will continue to improve their “5G Evolution” network, which is the name the company gave to a network that is much faster than the current 4G LTE’s, but not quite as fast as the true 5G. However, when 5G becomes available, it will make current LTE networks rather useless, in the same way 3G data is now irrelevant.

AT&T’s plan to make the network available by this year is considered an ambitious move since 5G is expected to be available sometime in 2020. According to the Verge, 5G networks follow a 10-year pattern for release, as with previous generations of cellular networking. LTE became available in the U.S. between 2010 and 2011, and 5G should be out by 2020 or 2021.

The race to be the first to release 5G networks in the United States is on, but AT&T is definitely not the first to make such claims. Verizon already announced its plans to push through with its own high-speed network’s release in five cities by the end of this year. Sprint is expected to roll one out by the end of 2019, and T-Mobile claims it will be available in 2019, with 2020 as the year for nationwide coverage.