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Bloomberg
AT&T Inc. has reached speeds of up to 14 gigabits a second in lab trials of 5G wireless technology, and plans to test the high-speed network by beaming its DirecTV Now video service to homes in Austin, Texas before midyear.
Through a collaboration with a dozen partners including Intel Corp., Ericsson AB and Qualcomm Inc., AT&T plans to use experimental airwaves to test fifth-generation or 5G residential and business services as a potentially cheaper method than fiber-optic cable for high-capacity connections, said John Donovan, AT&T’s chief strategy officer. AT&T announced its 5G plans on Wednesday. Eager to keep pace with Verizon Communications Inc., AT&T is in a race to develop new 5G services and drum up revenue in the emerging field as its wireless and TV subscription businesses face increased competition.
Donovan, who has led AT&T’s network upgrades over the past nine years from 2G to 3G to 4G, says 5G will have a bigger impact by enabling things like driverless cars, live maps and virtual reality. “Five G is a bigger thing than I have ever been involved in my career because it opens up whole new worlds,†he said.