AT&T is making very early preparations for launching its 5G wireless network in the US. The carrier says it hopes to begin field trials in Austin, Texas sometime before the end of 2016.
AT&T says it has patents for a number of different technologies that could be used for its 5G network. It stated:
We plan to collaborate with Ericsson and Intel to work on 5G solutions in our labs starting in the second quarter of this year, with outdoor tests and trials over the summer. And, we expect field trials of 5G technologies to provide wireless connectivity to fixed locations in Austin before the end of this year. The trials will help guide our 5G standards contributions, and set the stage for widespread commercial and mobile availability once technology standards for 5G are established.
AT&T says it expect speeds for its 5G network to be between 10 to 100 times faster compared to its current 4G LTE connections. It's important to point out that widespread access for AT&T's 5G network is still several years away.
Source: AT&T
