AT&T has started rolling out its 5G network in New York City ahead of many rivals, though there are some important caveats.
The network, which AT&T says went live on Tuesday, is its 5G+ service. 5G+ is AT&T’s name for millimetre-wave (mmWave) 5G: extremely fast but with a much shorter range than lower-frequency 5G options.
Because mmWave has limited reach, AT&T says 5G+ in New York is initially available only in select locations. The service will first be active around East Village, Greenwich Village, and Gramercy Park, with plans to expand coverage over time.
AT&T uses several different names for its networks, which can be confusing for consumers. 5G+ refers to the carrier’s mmWave deployment offering the highest speeds but limited coverage. What AT&T labels simply as “5G” operates on sub-6GHz spectrum: this covers a wider area than mmWave but offers lower peak speeds. AT&T also marketed a service called “5GE,” which critics have called misleading because it is essentially an enhanced version of AT&T’s LTE network rather than true 5G.
In a statement, Amy Kramer, President of AT&T’s New York region, said:
“As a densely populated, global business and entertainment hub, New York City stands to benefit greatly from having access to 5G, and we’ve been eager to introduce the service here.
While our initial availability in NYC is a limited introduction at launch, we’re committed to working closely with the City to extend coverage to more neighborhoods throughout the five boroughs.”
New York is the 21st city where AT&T has launched some form of 5G service. The operator has been expanding its 5G footprint rapidly compared with many competitors.
Verizon currently advertises 5G service in nine cities, T-Mobile in six, and Sprint in five. T-Mobile and Sprint have argued to regulators that their proposed merger would accelerate a combined company’s ability to roll out 5G more widely.
In addition to this week’s New York announcement, AT&T said it plans to introduce broader 5G coverage using sub-6GHz spectrum in the coming months, with the goal of offering nationwide 5G in the first half of 2020.
One more important note: AT&T’s 5G+ deployment in New York is initially limited to business customers, so general consumers will not have access right away.
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