AT&T apparently has the fastest 5G network for your new Samsung Galaxy S21

What you need to know

• AT&T has the fastest 5G speeds in the U.S., based on data from Ookla.
• The Speedtest app collects real-world data from users, which is how it determines these speeds.
• AT&T currently uses a combination of sub-6GHz, millimeter-wave, and Dynamic Spectrum Sharing technologies for its 5G.

AT&T is proudly announcing today that it has the fastest 5G network in the United States, based on data collected from Ookla Speedtest Market Analysis as of Q4 2020. This makes two consecutive years that the company has been crowned the fastest network — last year for 4G, this year for 5G — beating out both T-Mobile and Verizon who each hold a larger number of subscribers. AT&T's EVP of Technology Operations, Chris Sambar, maintains that its team worked tirelessly, and safely, through the pandemic to ensure that the company could continue to improve its network:

AT&T's announcement comes from Ookla Speedtest, which is an app that collects real-time user data across the country. Not only does AT&T have the nation's fastest 5G network, but also the overall fastest wireless speeds in the nation. In Q4 2020, the company saw a median 5G download speed of 79.6Mbps, compared to T-Mobile's 71.5, and Verizon's 60.4.

AT&T Wireless' 5G network is based primarily on mmWave which offers the fastest speeds in a limited area and is available in 38 cities so far. The company also uses sub-6GHz spectrum for its nationwide coverage with some help from Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) that shares the LTE spectrum with its 5G network to help boost coverage and speeds when necessary. This is how AT&T is able to offer some of the best 5G plans available to more than 14,000 cities and towns.

The company is soon to launch the Samsung Galaxy S21 series smartphones, each of which will be able to access both flavors of AT&T's blazing 5G network. Check out the company website for some of its deals on the latest Samsung flagship smartphones.