AT&T has embarked on a second trial using millimeter wave (mmWave) technology – offering speeds up to one gigabit per second – to deliver ultra-fast 5G internet connections to residential, small business, and enterprise clients in Austin, Texas. The first trial was completed in 2016, also in Austin, according to a press release.
The trial, lasting several months, will use Ericsson’s 5G RAN and the Intel® 5G Mobile Trial Platform to enable participants to stream premium live TV via DirecTV Now as well as access faster broadband services utilizing a fixed 5G wireless signal.
Sandra Rivera, Senior VP and general manager of Intel’s Network Platforms Group said, “The 5G Austin trial gives business and consumer participants a chance to experience the type of services and market opportunities they can expect in their daily lives with enhanced mobile broadband, ultra-fast speeds, and reliable network capabilities.”
Earlier this year, AT&T reached a key milestone by delivering DirecTV Now using mmWave technology; it was the first time DirecTV Now had been delivered over a 5G connection, states the press release.
Lower latency is an important component to the 5G experience, by impacting the time between clicking a web link and seeing a web page begin to load on your device. Enhancing video streaming is also a crucial factor since video makes up over half of AT&T’s mobile data traffic.
As the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) wireless standards begin to complete key components of the 5G standards needed to start chipset development in December, AT&T will contribute key trial findings back to the 3GPP. AT&T expects to grow new insights regarding the mmWave performance needed for standards development. They plan to have these 5G speeds available by late 2018, at the earliest.
June 29, 2017
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