Intel and Ericsson supported AT&T’s second 5G trial using millimeter wave (mmWave) technology in more locations in Austin, Texas.
AT&T in 2016 completed the industry’s first fixed wireless 5G business customer trial in Austin.
AT&T will utilize Ericsson’s 5G RAN and the Intel 5G Mobile Trial Platform for conducting the second trial that will deliver fast internet connection to residential, small business and enterprise customers in Austin.
Participants during the 5G trial can stream live TV via DIRECTV NOW and experience faster broadband services — over a fixed wireless 5G signal.
AT&T said the 5G trial will provide speeds up to 1 gigabit per second using mmWave spectrum.
“We reached a milestone earlier this year by delivering DIRECTV NOW using mmWave technology at our Middletown, New Jersey lab. It was the first time DIRECTV NOW had been delivered over a 5G connection,” said Marachel Knight, senior vice president, Wireless Network Architecture and Design, AT&T.
Data traffic on the AT&T mobile network has grown more than 250,000 percent since 2007. Video now makes up over half of its mobile data traffic. AT&T said video traffic grew over 75 percent and smartphones drove almost 75 percent of data traffic in 2016.
While 5G standards are still being finalized, AT&T is laying the foundation for faster wireless speeds today in Austin with 5G Evolution. AT&T aims to deliver 5G wireless speeds as early as late 2018.
Sandra Rivera, senior vice president and general manager of Intel’s Network Platforms Group and Joakim Sorelius, head of 5G Radio, Business Area Networks at Ericsson, are part of the team that is conducting 5G trials for AT&T.
