AT&T has revealed the company’s spectrum status to speed up the roll out of 5G network targeting better population coverage.
AT&T is the winning bidder for spectrum licenses covering more than 98 percent of the U.S. population following the close of FCC Auction 102. The company spent about $980 million in the auction.
The company won 24 GHz spectrum in 383 Partial Economic Areas (PEAs) for a nationwide average of 254 MHz. AT&T won spectrum license in the upper 500 MHz portion of the 24 GHz band.
AT&T said it will have stronger nationwide coverage and additional spectrum depth and capacity in many top markets. AT&T won nearly 286 MHz on average in the top 10 markets alone, including 300 MHz in 8 of those markets.
AT&T said it will use the spectrum to bolster its mobile 5G strategy. AT&T said it was the first U.S. wireless carrier to introduce mobile 5G service. The company’s 5G service is currently available in parts of 19 cities – more than any other wireless carrier – with plans to reach parts of 29 cities by the end of 2019.
The company expects to have the best combination of mobile 5G, providing high speeds and low latency service over mmWave spectrum and 5G service over sub-6 spectrum.
“We’re leading the nation in mobile 5G deployment and the large, contiguous block of spectrum we won in Auction 102 will be critical to maintaining that leadership,” said Scott Mair, president of AT&T Operations.
AT&T is already holding mmWave spectrum in the 39 GHz band. AT&T said its spectrum depth in mmWave increased by two-thirds to more than 630 MHz nationwide.
The company expects $6-$8 billion in proceeds from asset monetization, net of spectrum purchases and other asset acquisitions.
