AT&T 5G Wireless Release Date News: Telecom Company to Commence Testing in Austin and Indianapolis This Year

By Georgia Gana, Christian Post Contributor Friday, February 03, 2017

AT&T has announced that it will begin testing its 5G wireless service in two cities later this year. The telecommunications company also explained that it aims to provide consumers with faster and more secure connections via the AT&T Network 3.0 Indigo platform.

"We see Indigo as the third generation of modern networking. Indigo is our term for a world where it isn't just your connection speeds that are accelerating, but every element of the network becomes more seamless, efficient and capable. It is a living, evolving, upgradeable platform," said John Donovan, chief strategy officer and group president of Technology and Operations.

AT&T's vision for next-generation wireless technology isn't simply based on providing ultra-fast mobile internet speeds but also integrating elements such as big data, artificial intelligence, machine learning, cybersecurity and software-defined networking.

With Indigo, consumers will be able to broadcast their out-of-town trips even in remote locations like beaches or mountains. They can also access their bank accounts even while traveling. The company also revealed that the availability of 5G will help advance the fields of self-driving cars and mobile augmented and virtual realities.

And in order to turn this vision into reality, AT&T is starting with 5G network connections. They will launch the first "5G Evolution Markets" in the next few months, specifically in Austin and Indianapolis.

With 5G, AT&T expects that consumers will get to potentially experience peak wireless speeds of 400 Mbps and higher. Later on, as they expand their network and utilize the latest technologies, it is expected that specific areas will be able to enjoy speeds of up to 1 Gbps.

AT&T also announced plans to build two new 5G testbeds that are slated for the AT&T Labs in Austin this spring.

The company's recent announcement bodes well for the future of wireless connectivity but there is still a long way to go before this technology matures. The full rollout of AT&T's 5G wireless service in the United States isn't scheduled until 2019 or 2020.