AT&T expands its “5G Evolution” and LTE-LAA technologies — what the carrier calls 5G foundation technologies to more markets. AT&T is upgrading cell towers with LTE Advanced features like 256 QAM, 4×4 MIMO, and 3-way carrier aggregation.
The carrier says the foundational 5G technologies enable faster speeds now, and mobile 5G, when it’s ready. For example, AT&T plans to start launching standards-based mobile 5G later this year in parts of Waco, Atlanta and Dallas. All three markets have 5G Evolution service now. The Mobile 5G deployments will benefit from its 5G fixed wireless trials, the carrier says.
AT&T expanded 5G Evolution to parts of 117 new markets last week, bringing the total number of areas served to just over 140. Compatible devices can theoretically hit speeds of up to 400 megabits-per-second, according to the announcement. The carrier plans to make this technology available in 500+ markets this year, including in parts of Baltimore, Charlotte, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Las Vegas, New York City, Philadelphia, Portland, Raleigh, Salt Lake City, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.
The carrier is also making LTE-LAA available in three new markets (Boston, Sacramento and McAllen, TX) for a total of seven areas with this technology. With LTE-LAA, compatible devices can hit theoretical peak speeds of up to 1 gigabit-per-second, according to the carrier. AT&T previously launched LTE-LAA in The Loop in Chicago, around Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, downtown Los Angeles and the Financial District in San Francisco. The company plans to enable LTE-LAA in 24 metros this year.
April 23, 2018
Reader Interactions