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On Thursday, AT&T announced its low-band 5G network is now available to 205 million Americans. That’s a key milestone for the carrier, because the Federal Communication Commission qualifies a “nationwide” network as one that’s available to 200 million consumers.
As for the other two carriers you’re inevitably thinking of: T-Mobile flipped the switch on its nationwide low-band network last December. So far, Verizon has prioritized millimeter-wave deployments. It plans to launch a low-band network later this year.
- Low-band spectrum brings only modest speed boosts over 4G networks, but it offers better coverage and range than high-band/mmWave frequencies. Plus, it’s cheaper.
Zoom out: Look beyond where coverage is expanding to how 5G subscriptions are priced. In a few weeks, AT&T will expand 5G access to its cheapest unlimited plan. Until then, 5G support is only included in the two most expensive premium tiers.
+ For technical details and industry info, check out the Brew’s Guide to 5G. Then, once you’ve sufficiently absorbed the information, take the 5G trivia quiz.