AT&T now makes you pay even more for its fastest 5G speeds

By Bryan M. Wolfe May 2, 2024

AT&T

We have bad news for AT&T customers who always expect to get the fastest 5G speeds. The second-largest carrier in the U.S. will now make you pay extra for the fastest option. On Thursday, AT&T announced its new “Turbo” add-on, which it says will provide “enhanced data connectivity for real-time responsiveness.”

What this means in terms of network speeds compared to what everyday AT&T 5G customers get isn’t exactly clear.

In announcing its news, the company says the AT&T Turbo plan is built to support high-performance apps like gaming, social video broadcasting, and live videoconferencing. It also explains that the add-on is ideally used “if customers want less freezing or stuttering and lower latency.”

AT&T is celebrating being the first company to offer customers the option to purchase enhanced data connectivity. However, this suggests that AT&T 5G customers who previously enjoyed the highest speeds will no longer have access to those top speeds unless they pay extra. AT&T Turbo requires phones with 5G compatibility, such as the Google Pixel Pro 8 and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

It will be interesting to see whether Verizon and T-Mobile follow AT&T’s lead, and if so, when.

According to Erin Scarborough, Senior Vice President of Consumer Product for AT&T, AT&T Turbo will evolve as a service: “Today is only the beginning of how AT&T plans to enhance the customer experience through our network, and we look forward to evolving the possibilities of AT&T Turbo in the future.”

At launch, AT&T Turbo costs $7 per month extra, and you can add it to your account through the AT&T app for iPhone and Android-based devices.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.

Mobile

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.

Mobile

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’

Mobile

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