AT&T to test 5G wireless service this year

AT&T has recently announced that it will conduct field trials of 5G wireless technology this summer in Austin, Texas. The carrier will be working in cooperation with Ericsson and Intel.

The 5G network will provide speeds that are 10 to 100 times faster than current 4G connections. It is also expected to reduce latency – or delays – when playing video content. Due to the videos, traffic on the AT&T network grew 150,000 percent between 2007 and 2015.

"New experiences like virtual reality, self-driving cars, robotics, smart cities and more are about to test networks like never before. These technologies will be immersive, pervasive and responsive to customers. 5G will help make them a reality," says John Donovan, chief strategy officer and group president, AT&T Technology and Operations.

"5G will reach its full potential because we will build it on a software-centric architecture that can adapt quickly to new demands and give customers more control of their network services. Our approach is simple - deliver a unified experience built with 5G, software-defined networking (SDN), Big Data, security and open source software," he added.

Although 5G (Fifth Generation wireless), is not expected to be completed until 2020, carriers are trying to get prepared for it and to offer 5G service first. Verizon is also actively working on its 5G network. Google has recently announced that it also plans to deliver 5G internet using drones.

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