AT&T has announced it will launch its true 5G network in December.
Earlier this year, the carrier faced criticism for marketing “5G-E,” a label applied to an enhanced 4G LTE service rather than to true 5G. The “E” stood for “Evolution,” which the company argued was an appropriate description, but many consumers interpreted the label as full 5G and felt misled.
Rivals mocked the term, and independent research suggested confusion among the public: one study found that 54 percent of consumers believed 5G-E networks were equivalent to, or better than, true 5G. Some industry observers warned that the labeling could harm the broader rollout of 5G—customers who expected a dramatic improvement from 5G-E might be disappointed and delay upgrading to genuine 5G devices and plans.
With AT&T’s genuine 5G launch approaching, the company will need to clarify the distinction to existing 5G-E customers. Those who want the full benefits of 5G will likely have to upgrade to compatible devices and sign up for the appropriate service plans.
AT&T will begin pre-orders for Samsung’s Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G—the first phone able to access AT&T’s low-band 5G—on Monday, with shipments slated to start in the first half of December. However, this device will support only AT&T’s low-band 5G, not the mmWave network currently active in 21 cities. As a result, some customers may still find speeds lower than expected in certain areas.
AT&T’s low-band 5G rollout will initially cover five cities: Indianapolis; Pittsburgh; Providence, R.I.; Rochester, N.Y.; and San Diego.
A further ten cities are planned for near-term support: Boston; Las Vegas; Milwaukee; New York City; San Francisco; Birmingham, Ala.; Bridgeport, Conn.; Buffalo, N.Y.; Louisville, Ky.; and San Jose, Calif.
Access to AT&T’s 5G network will require one of the carrier’s newer unlimited plans: Unlimited Extra or Unlimited Elite. Pricing starts at $75 per month for a single line on Unlimited Extra and $85 per month for Unlimited Elite, so the plans represent a premium service tier.
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