
New York (CNN Business)AT&T’s 5G network is now available nationwide, making it the second major American carrier after T-Mobile to hit the milestone.
5G is the next generation of wireless network technology, and provides increased speeds and bandwidth compared to current 4G LTE networks.
AT&T announced Thursday that its 5G network is now available to 205 million consumers in 395 markets across the United States. (CNN’s parent company, WarnerMedia, is owned by AT&T (T)).
The announcement comes despite some minor disruptions the Covid-19 pandemic caused for to the telecom industry’s 5G rollout. Many expect 5G will improve automation, remote working tools and other technologies that have become even more important in light of the crisis.
“Just as our lives have shifted in the past few months, so has our expectation of wireless technology,” Jeff McElfresh, CEO of AT&T Communications, said in a statement. “Businesses, developers and consumers are already tapping into 5G’s potential.”
But even thoughthe 5G network is nownationwide, swaths of the country are not yet covered by it (similar to T-Mobile’s (TMUS) nationwide 5G network). This is because the Federal Communications Commission defines the term by population — a network is considered “nationwide” if it covers 200 million or more people — rather than by coverage area.
Source : CNN