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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- AT&T has introduced a surprise 5G speed boost for subscribers.
- The increase applies to mobile and Internet Air customers.
- Customers won’t pay any more for the increased speeds.
If you’re an AT&T mobile or Internet Air customer, you might have just received a surprise speed boost at no charge.
AT&T has announced a nationwide 5G speed boost, opening opportunities for data-intensive activities like streaming, gaming, and AI-powered applications. The company claims this upgrade will increase download speeds by up to 80% for mobile customers and up to 55% for Internet Air customers (AT&T’s 5G home internet service).
Also: AT&T will sell you the iPhone Air for $830 off right now – how to qualify for the dealhttps://www.zdnet.com/article/at-t-customers-can-still-claim-up-to-7500-from-177m-data-breach-settlement-heres-how/
The company added that this upgrade also affects its FirstNet network built for first responders.
The increased speed comes as a result of AT&T’s acquisition of a large amount of wireless spectrum space from EchoStar (Boost Mobile) a few months ago for more than $20 billion. AT&T says it has now successfully integrated the new bandwidth into more than 23,000 cell sites.
Mid-band
Most notable is that AT&T’s new bandwidth is mid-band. Mobile frequencies are broken into low, mid, and high bands. Low band provides wide coverage but slow speeds, while high band provides fast speeds and limited coverage. Mid-band offers a blend of speed and coverage that’s useful for most online activities.
Also: Your AT&T home internet bill is going up again – but these tricks might be able to help
In recent reports, AT&T was the third-fastest mobile carrier (T-Mobile won by a long shot). It’ll be interesting to see if AT&T’s claims hold true and its speeds show a noticeable increase.
Already live
According to the company, the upgrade is already live in more than 5,300 cities and across 48 states, including New York City, Chicago, Seattle, and Phoenix.
Also: AT&T customers will soon get their own AI receptionist to answer calls and block spam
Additionally, if you are an AT&T subscriber, make sure you file a claim in the recent data breach settlement, where you can get up to $7,500.
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Source: Robotics - zdnet.com
