NR Standards Informed AT&T's 5G Timing

It seems like we’ve been talking about 5G for ages. But this year we should actually see some commercial rollouts of true 5G services – including some mobile offerings.

AT&T (News - Alert) plans to launch a standards-based mobile 5G service in more than a dozen markets in the United States by late 2018. The 3GPP’s completion last month of key elements of the 5G new radio standards have made this possible, the company explained. That’s because the specs make it possible for chipset, device, and other hardware outfits to start developing true 5G products, AT&T points out.

5G will allow for connectivity speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second ­– providing parity with wireline speeds. It also will include the ability to support a larger number of devices (like millions or billions of them).

Ultra reliable low latency communications is one of the truly unique aspects of 5G, however. It will help cellular service providers support things like the connected car and remote surgery via robotics that require extreme reliability and performance. For example, vehicles need to communicate with what’s around it them in real time to make the right decisions at the right time. And doctors’ ability to move a robot at the right time and in a timely fashion can mean the difference between life and death.

“5G will change the way we live, work and enjoy entertainment,” said Melissa Arnoldi, president of AT&T Technology and Operations. “We’re moving quickly to begin deploying mobile 5G this year and start unlocking the future of connectivity for consumers and businesses. With faster speeds and ultra-low latency, 5G will ultimately deliver and enhance experiences like virtual reality, future driverless cars, immersive 4K video and more.”

However, one challenge of 5G networks is that they will run on millimeter wave spectrum, which operates at higher frequencies than existing cellular technology. That means the signals can’t travel as far and don’t penetrate things like trees and walls. Millimeter spectrum also will require cellular service providers to employ a greater number of cell sites for coverage. That will require smarter networks with better network management capabilities between those cells.

In addition to its mobile 5G plans, AT&T this year also expects to reach more than 660,000 total locations, and 1.1 million locations by the end of 2020, with fixed 5G services. Meanwhile, Verizon (News - Alert), plans to introduce 5G-based fixed wireless residential broadband services in three to five U.S. markets this year. (Verizon does not currently have plans to introduce commercial mobile 5G services in 2018.)