AT&T recently announced its 5G Evolution plans for 2018 and new smart city initiatives. AT&t expects to be the first U.S. company to introduce mobile 5G service in a dozen markets by late 2018.
AT&T moving fast to make 5G reality. AT&T notes that as standards continue to develop, 5G will advance and won’t just be about faster speeds on your phone. It will also mean much lower latency, which will be enhanced by a new range of applications utilizing edge computing included connected cars and C-V2X.
“We expect future 5G technologies will eventually allow future driverless vehicles to make real-time decisions based on information that goes beyond the individual sensors onboard the vehicle itself. Vehicles will be able to “see” around corners, through other vehicles, and at longer distances. This will enable vehicles to quickly make sense of their environment and help guide safe operations on the road,” AT&T reported in a news release.
To reach this ambitious milestone, AT&T has taken a different approach to transforming our network. AT&T 5G services will be based on industry standards for 5G.
“5G will change the way we live, work and enjoy entertainment,” said Melissa Arnoldi, president, AT&T Technology and Operations. “We’re moving quickly to begin deploying mobile 5G this year and start unlocking the future of connectivity for consumers and businesses. With faster speeds and ultra-low latency, 5G will ultimately deliver and enhance experiences like virtual reality, future driverless cars, immersive 4K video and more.”
In addition to plans for offering mobile 5G to consumers this year, AT&T expects to trial 5G technology with businesses of all sizes across industries to help them to transform business operations and create more engaging experiences for their customers.
AT&T has laid the foundation for 5G with the launch of 5G Evolution in 23 major metros; Atlanta; Austin; Boston; Bridgeport, Connecticut; Buffalo, New York; Chicago; Fresno; Greenville, South Carolina; Hartford, Connecticut; Houston; Indianapolis; Los Angeles; Louisville; Memphis; Nashville; New Orleans; Oklahoma City; Pittsburgh; San Antonio; San Diego; San Francisco; Tulsa, Oklahoma and Sacramento, California offering immersive entertainment experiences like augmented and virtual reality while on the go.
While AT&T is rolling out mobile 5G in 2018, the company also plans to continue to enhance our network with 5G Evolution technology in hundreds of additional metro areas. AT&T will make 5G Evolution capable devices available throughout the year.
The path to 5G encompasses fixed and mobile solutions. AT&T collaborated with more than a dozen global technology companies around 5G standards efforts, and the initial lab trials acheived speeds up to 14 gigabits-per-second (Gbps) over a wireless connection.
Smart City Structure Monitoring
AT&T also announced its Smart Cities Structure Monitoring. With AT&T Smart Cities Structure Monitoring, selected infrastructure will receive AT&T LTE-enabled sensors to remotely monitor structural factors. The sensors, which measure things like cracks and tilts, also feature alert triggers and email alerts to capture significant events.
The AT&T Smart Cities Structure Monitoring product will join our growing Smart Cities solutions suite which includes AT&T Smart Cities Digital Infrastructure, AT&T Smart Irrigation, AT&T Smart Cities Operations Center, AT&T Smart Grid – Solar Solution and AT&T Smart Grid Solutions – Prepay Energy.
An AT&T Smart Cities Update
AT&T launched our Smart Cities organization in the fall of 2015. Since then,aT&T& worked closely with cities and their citizens to better understand key challenges and help them create impactful solutions. W
Atlanta: The City of Atlanta was one of the first cities to join the spotlight city program. THe collaboration with city leaders is helping to bring Atlanta’s smart cities vision to life. Utilizing AT&T Digital Infrastructure with Current, powered by GE’s CityIQTM, we are working with the local utility to transform the city’s existing lighting infrastructure into a sensor-enabled data network that will accelerate the digital era of urban development. To date, two hundred sensors have been added to previously installed LED streetlights encompassing key areas in the city. The sensors will help Atlanta address issues such as traffic flow, parking optimization and gunshot detection, and create a platform for citizen engagement.
Dallas: AT&T teamed with the Dallas Innovation Alliance (DIA) and other technology leaders in the city to create a living lab. The solution addresses key challenges like sustainability and parking. To make the city’s historic West End more sustainable, the city installed 22 new smart lighting solutions using connected LED and intelligent controls. The new lighting used 35% less energy in its first 90 days.
The second phase of the DIA Smart Cities Living Lab powered by AT&T will launch later in January.
Montgomery County: Montgomery County Maryland has a large commuter population. Together with some of strategic alliance members, AT&T worked with them to enhance ridership through the use of technology, such as informing the public about transit time delays in real-time and improving the riders’ experience. To address these issues, Wi-Fi was installed on targeted buses and bus shelters. Early research suggests the county will see increased ridership.