Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile

AT&T begins C-band 5G rollout today amid ongoing controversy

By

Anyone using AT&T’s 5G network in parts of seven U.S. cities can expect a welcome boost in their mobile internet speed this year as the carrier begins the rollout of 5G C-band coverage today despite ongoing issues with airlines. Markets where the new coverage will be available include Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, Chicago, Detroit, Jacksonville, Orlando, and Miami.

By moving into the C-band, AT&T is able to expand the availability of truly high speed 5G that has previously only been accessible on the millimeter wavelength in very limited portions of major cities. AT&T intends to make what they’re calling 5G+ accessible to 200 million people by the end of 2023.

Recommended Videos

Currently, only a limited range of devices are compatible with the service, so you’ll need an iPhone 13, a Samsung Galaxy A13 5G or S21 series, or one of Google’s latest Pixel 6 phones in order to use higher speed 5G service. While that leaves out a lot of older devices, as well as phones from other manufacturers, Apple, Samsung, and Google, are certainly the most popular and widely used. If you’ve been considering an upgrade, and live within the footprint of C-band 5G coverage, picking up a new phone just got a lot more tempting.

While it’s great to see wider availability of faster mobile internet service, unless you live in a major city, it still seems like a far-off dream. I myself live in a rural area where consistent 4G service is still a scarce commodity. C-band will gradually reduce the digital divide, but it’s questionable whether people such as myself will ever see a benefit from its implementation.

Meanwhile, C-band internet is causing chaos at airports, as airlines fear that these wavelengths could interfere with their instrumentation. Last year both AT&T and Verizon agreed to postpone C-band rollout until Wednesday, January 19, in order to allow the FAA time to investigate the matter. Much of the controversy stems from a disagreement between the aviation community and wireless carriers over the proximity of C-band towers to airports. Concerns that travelers overseas might be stranded arose as international airlines canceled flights, though as of this writing those flights have been reinstated.

It remains to be seen if the airline’s fears of C-band interference are justified, or if this controversy will turn out to be a mere tempest in a tea kettle. As Verizon rolls out its own C-band 5G coverage and wireless home internet, the high speeds such a connection offers to provide an alternative to cable and fiber service. Such competition is very welcome, as it forces a higher degree of competition within a market often rife with defacto local monopolies many Americans are locked into.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Andy Zahn
Andy Zahn
Mobile writer
Andy Zahn is a freelance writer and photographer living on a small farm in the shadow of Mt. St. Helens. He currently writes…
How fast is 5G? What you need to know about 5G speeds
OnePlus Nord N300 5G speed test.

Cellular carriers around the country are doing everything they can to expand their 5G coverage networks. Millions of people are already covered by a 5G tower in their area, and more are scheduled to arrive throughout 2024 -- bringing increased speeds to folks everywhere from the biggest city to the most remote mountain town. Nearly all modern smartphones now support 5G, making it the new standard for wireless devices.

That means anyone with an iPhone 15 or Galaxy S24 has a phone capable of accessing 5G networks -- but how fast is 5G? And is it noticeably faster than 4G speeds? There are a lot of benefits to 5G networks, but they're not without their growing pains. And like its predecessor, your mileage may vary based on how many people are using the same towers as you or how far away you are from the nearest access point.

Read more
Have T-Mobile? Your 5G service is about to get much faster
U.S. map illustrating T-Mobile's 5G Ultra Capacity network expansion.

T-Mobile’s 5G network already offers unmatched 5G speeds and coverage throughout the U.S., with 98% of the population covered by some flavor of T-Mobile’s 5G and more than 90% benefiting from its higher-speed 5G Ultra Capacity (5G UC) network.

That translates to the “Uncarrier” taking first place in 5G performance in 46 U.S. states. However, T-Mobile isn’t content to sit at 90% coverage. It’s been working steadily to increase the footprint of its 5G UC network to reach even further, and is bringing those top speeds to areas previously served only by its lower-frequency 5G Extended Range network.
A ‘Massive 5G Boost’

Read more
Your next phone could get a huge 5G upgrade, thanks to AI
Qualcomm Snapdragon X80 Modem-RF chip.

It’s that time of year again when Qualcomm ushers in its next generation of 5G modem technology. Announced at Mobile World Congress (MWC ) 2024, this year’s Snapdragon X80 5G Modem-RF system is the successor to last year’s Snapdragon X75, and it builds on the 5G Advanced foundation laid last year with more raw power and new AI features.

While the Snapdragon X75 moved the needle by adding support for the latest 5G Advanced standards, we’re still in that fourth phase of 5G technology, otherwise known as 3GPP Release 18 — and most carrier networks are still catching up. So, with no new standards to embrace, Qualcomm has focused on improving the inside of the Snapdragon X80 to take even fuller advantage of these cutting-edge 5G technologies.
The magic of AI-powered 5G

Read more