AT&T 5G rollout: Everything you need to know about the faster network

By Steven Winkelman December 4, 2018

AT&T is in a cutthroat competition with Verizon to be the first carrier to offer 5G. While you may think Verizon already claimed that title, it actually launched a pre-standard 5G network that AT&T (and others) claim is not “real 5G.”

Contents

Network
Mobile 5G
Fixed 5G

So can AT&T be the first to make its mark with 5G? Here’s everything you need to know about the carriers 5G rollout.

Network

What is 5G? - A Breakdown of 5G Technology Explained | AT&T

To offer the fastest speeds with the lowest latency, AT&T will initially deploy its 5G network on a millimeter wave spectrum (mmWave). While mmWave can offer the fastest 5G service, it isn’t the most reliable.

High-band spectrum like mmWave doesn’t cover a large area and has relatively poor penetration. Over the next several years, AT&T will build out its 5G network around the country with small cells, and deploy service on more hearty spectrum bands. Until the rollout is complete, the service will piggyback off its robust LTE network.

Mobile 5G

Although we’re not likely to see any 5G smartphones on the market for several months, AT&T has a different deployment strategy. It plans rollout 12 cities by the end of 2018 using a 5G hotspot. Eight more cities will get 5G in early 2019 as AT&T continues its nationwide rollout. Here are all the cities confirmed so far.

2018

AT&T plans to end the year with a splash, launching 5G in 12 cities across the U.S. Those cities are, Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Louisville, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Raleigh, San Antonio, and Waco.

2019

The carrier plans to follow up on its 12-city rollout in early 2019 by adding seven more cities to the mix. Those cities are, Orlando, Las Vegas, Nashville, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Jose.

Although AT&T will have 5G service in cities around the country by early 2019, it’s worth noting the service will likely be spotty. Expect to see the initial rollout in heavily trafficked areas like city centers, airports, and stadiums at first.

Hardware

Image used with permission by copyright holder

In terms of hardware, we’re still in the early days. We would not be surprised to see AT&T release several handsets in 2019, though it’s only announced two pieces of hardware thus far.

In December, the carrier said it plans to partner with Samsung to release a 5G capable smartphone in the sprint of 2018. Earlier this year AT&T announced the Netgear Nighthawk 5G Mobile Hotspot for its initial 5G deployment

Since 2019 will likely be a busy year for 5G hardware, you’ll want to check back often to see if you’re favorite smartphone manufacturer has confirmed hardware compatible with your carrier. We created a special page with all the currently confirmed 5G smartphones to help you out.

Fixed 5G

Along with Verizon, AT&T was supposed to be one of the first carriers to roll out fixed 5G. In late 2018, however, it looks like things have changed. The carrier announced it would initially deploy fixed LTE on the Citizens Band Radio Spectrum (CBRS) in 2019, and follow migrate to 5G coverage at some point in the future.

Hardware

AT&T has not announced any hardware for its fixed broadband service.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Steven Winkelman

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Steven writes about technology, social practice, and books. At Digital Trends, he focuses primarily on mobile and wearables…

Mobile

How fast is 5G? What you need to know about 5G speeds

OnePlus Nord N300 5G speed test.

Cellular carriers around the country are doing everything they can to expand their 5G coverage networks. Millions of people are already covered by a 5G tower in their area, and more are scheduled to arrive throughout 2024 -- bringing increased speeds to folks everywhere from the biggest city to the most remote mountain town. Nearly all modern smartphones now support 5G, making it the new standard for wireless devices.

That means anyone with an iPhone 15 or Galaxy S24 has a phone capable of accessing 5G networks -- but how fast is 5G? And is it noticeably faster than 4G speeds? There are a lot of benefits to 5G networks, but they're not without their growing pains. And like its predecessor, your mileage may vary based on how many people are using the same towers as you or how far away you are from the nearest access point.

Mobile

What is an eSIM? Here’s everything you need to know

eSIM page on the iPhone 14.

If you've purchased a new cell phone in the past decade or so, you're probably already familiar with the SIM—the little thumbnail-sized card that's used to connect to your your carrier's cellular network —but in recent years smartphone manufacturers and carriers have started replacing them with something called an eSIM.
The "e" in eSIM stands for "embedded," which makes sense as this is a SIM card that stays inside your phone and can't be removed. It performs the same function as a traditional SIM card but has the potential to make things a lot simpler for most smartphone users. Almost any new phone you buy nowadays features eSIM technology, including the new iPhone 15. In fact, the iPhone 15 doesn't even have a physical SIM card slot available, and all iPhone 15 users need to transfer to eSIM -- giving a hint at where the technology is going. Pretty soon eSIMs could become the standard, with physical SIM cards gradually fading out of use.

But if you're confused by the concept of an eSIM, don't worry -- we've got you covered. Read on as we get more specific about what eSIM technology truly is, and how it differs from its predecessor, the physical SIM card.

Mobile

Have T-Mobile? Your 5G service is about to get much faster

U.S. map illustrating T-Mobile's 5G Ultra Capacity network expansion.

T-Mobile’s 5G network already offers unmatched 5G speeds and coverage throughout the U.S., with 98% of the population covered by some flavor of T-Mobile’s 5G and more than 90% benefiting from its higher-speed 5G Ultra Capacity (5G UC) network.

That translates to the “Uncarrier” taking first place in 5G performance in 46 U.S. states. However, T-Mobile isn’t content to sit at 90% coverage. It’s been working steadily to increase the footprint of its 5G UC network to reach even further, and is bringing those top speeds to areas previously served only by its lower-frequency 5G Extended Range network.
A ‘Massive 5G Boost’