Depending on who you ask, either Verizon or AT&T was the first provider in the country to offer 5G. While Verizon was indeed the first to use technologies such as mmWave that are the basis for true 5G technologies, AT&T was the first to deploy something called 5GE, which was just souped-up LTE and more of a marketing ploy than anything else. AT&T has moved away from that (due to a lawsuit by Sprint) and is now focusing on true 5G, which is available across the country.
AT&T, always leaning toward confusion, splits its
Here’s everything you need to know about AT&T’s
AT&T 5G network coverage
If you’re looking for an up-to-date map of coverage, take a look at our 5G coverage map to see if there’s availability in your area.
While AT&T was a little slow to the punch, it now offers a nationwide
It’s important to note that AT&T’s network isn’t as large as T-Mobile’s 5G network or Verizon 5G. Again, if you’re anywhere near a populated area, you should still get coverage, but outside of major cities, you may not. That’s likely to change over time — AT&T is rapidly expanding its
Many downtown areas across the country offer
Speaking of major cities, they’re the only place you’ll currently get AT&T’s
On AT&T’s Sub-6 network, you should be able to achieve download speeds of a few hundred megabits per second, but some people may still get slower speeds, closer to what you’ll see on 4G. Again, this will likely get better over time as AT&T improves its network. AT&T says most customers are getting download speeds of around 400Mbps on the parts of its
AT&T 5G carrier plans
AT&T offers a range of plans that work with
First up is the AT&T Unlimited Starter plan, with costs $65 per month for one line, or as little as $30 per line, per month for five lines. On this plan, you’ll get unlimited talk, text, and data, including in Canada and Mexico. Your video watching will be limited to standard definition — or 480p — so you won’t get ultra-clear video. For many people, that won’t really matter.
Next up is Unlimited Extra. This plan costs $75 per month for one line, or as little as $35 per line, per month for five lines. Added to this plan is 50GB of so-called “Premium Data,” which essentially means that you won’t be throttled in speeds if you’ve used less than 50GB. You’ll also get 15GB of hot spot data per line.
Last but not least is Unlimited Elite. Unlimited Elite costs $85 per month for one line, and ranges down to $45 per month, per line for five lines. On this plan, you’ll get 100GB of premium data and the ability to stream video in HD, or 720p. You’ll also get 30GB of hot spot data, and a subscription to HBO Max.
Unfortunately, you won’t get
AT&T 5G phones
AT&T offers a range of 5G-compatible phones, and actually, if you buy a reasonably new phone that costs more than $500 or so, you should expect to get
- Samsung Galaxy S21 – $800 ($26.67 per month)
- Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra – $1,200 ($40 per month)
- Apple iPhone 12 – $800 ($26.67 per month)
- Apple iPhone 12 Pro – $1,000 ($33.34 per month)
- Google Pixel 5 – $725 ($24.17 per month)
5G versus 5GE
As mentioned before, AT&T found itself in hot water over its decisions to rebrand certain 4G phones as “5GE” phones. The company argues that many technologies deeply linked to the faster
Even other carriers are up in arms about 5GE. Sprint (prior to merging with T-Mobile) sued AT&T over the 5GE branding, arguing that it was misleading and that it does damage to other carriers because many consumers don’t know that 5GE isn’t “real”
The reality of it is that 5GE is actually 4G LTE Advanced. It is, unequivocally, not
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