AT&T Says Its 5G Network Launches in “Next Few Weeks”

During its earnings call this morning, AT&T said that it is preparing to launch its 5G mobile network within the “next few weeks.” That’s according to John Donovan, AT&T’s mobility business boss, who was pinpointing launch timing for his company, which has said all year that they’d be the first to do so.

When AT&T fires up their 5G network, they hope to activate it in up to a dozen markets this year alone. Some of those launch markets include Indianapolis, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Dallas.

Curious about which phones will be able to connect to AT&T’s 5G network? The answer: none. No phone can currently connect to 5G. What AT&T will do is sell a hotspot “puck” that will connect to 5G and then offer that connection up to your phone or tablet or computer. No 5G phones are expected until 2019 and Sprint says they’ll have the first, a phone made by LG. Verizon will also bring 5G via Moto Mod at some point in early 2019.

We don’t yet know pricing for AT&T’s 5G mobile service, but we do know they are lining up all of the tricks. We should all be prepared for increased pricing, tiers upon tiers, and à la carte service choices that nickel and dime the sh*t out of us.

We’ll let you know when AT&T’s service goes live!

// Fierce Wireless