Following yesterday's snafu, AT&T has taken today to announce "nationwide availability" for its 5G network, which covers around 63% of the US population thanks to the addition of 40 new markets. Celebrating this slightly arbitrary milestone, the company is bringing 5G access to all of its current "Unlimited" plans starting August 7th. Cricket customers will also get access to 5G on August 21st.
As always, when it comes to carrier plans and changes, there are a lot of individual specifics that make it hard to wade through exactly who is getting what. So far as we can tell, on August 7th, the company's Unlimited Starter, Business Unlimited Web-Only, and Business Starter, Performance, and Elite plans will be able to use 5G for no added cost. Pre-paid customers can also get 5G, but seemingly only on the highest-end Unlimited Plus plan.
5G availability on Cricket is more of a question. It sounds like it will be exclusive to the Samsung Galaxy S20+ 5G when it happens, but more details are promised in the future.
40 more markets have also picked up 5G access:
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Mohave County, AZ
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Little Rock, AR
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Polk County, AR
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San Miguel County, CO
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Daytona Beach, FL
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Jacksonville, FL
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Monroe County, FL
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Putnam County, FL
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Sioux City, IA-NE
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Garrett County, MD
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Battle Creek, MI
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Cheboygan County, MI
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Hubbard County, MN
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Koochinching County, MN
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Minneapolis, MN
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Leake County, MS
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Deer Lodge County, MT
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Great Falls, MT
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Colfax County, NM
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Grant County, NM
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Santa Fe County, NM
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Glen Falls, NY
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Adjuntas Municipality. PR
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Ceiba Municipality, PR
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Ciales Municipality, PR
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Cherokee County, SC
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Kingsbury County, SD
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Marshall County, SD
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Atascosa County, TX
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Burleson County, TX
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Chambers County, TX
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Cherokee County, TX
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Corpus Christi, TX
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Edwards County, TX
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Houston, TX
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Laredo, TX
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San Antonio, TX
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Box Elder County, UT
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Casper, WY
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Sheridan County, WY
In case you spent the last day under a rock, yesterday AT&T sent out a poorly-worded warning to some customers that they would need to swap phones to continue receiving service as a result of network upgrades in the company's ongoing move to 5G. The change is a result of mandated HDVoice support, but AT&T's whitelisting apparently excludes some recent models, and the company has done little to clarify confusion on the subject.
The full details of AT&T's plan changes are available in the press release just below.
PRESS RELEASE
AT&T 5G. Today Nationwide.
AT&T’s 5G Network is Fast, Reliable, Secure – and Today it’s Nationwide
All Current AT&T Consumer Unlimited Wireless Plans Will Come with AT&T 5G at No Additional Cost Starting Aug. 7
AT&T’s* 5G network is live for consumers and businesses across the country as of today, built on the nation’s best and also fastest wireless network.1
“Just as our lives have shifted in the past few months, so has our expectation of wireless technology,” said Jeff McElfresh, CEO of AT&T Communications. “With AT&T 5G reaching nationwide, our network is beginning the journey to transform connectivity as we know it by setting a new bar of breathtaking experiences and improved efficiency. Businesses, developers and consumers are already tapping into 5G’s potential and we’re thrilled for customers across the U.S. to experience it for themselves. It’s an exciting time in technology.”
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We’ve built AT&T 5G with our customers in mind, because they are more connected today than ever before. 5G will make the things we do today better and ultimately improve those experiences overall. And now that our 5G signal reaches customers nationwide, there are immediate benefits they can enjoy right away, including:
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AT&T 5G offers nationwide connectivity, so whether you’re at home or on-the-go, you’ll enjoy 5G coverage in more places. 2 And 5G’s speed means fast downloads and very little lag time for all your on-demand entertainment and favorite mobile games. Increased capacity capabilities of 5G will ultimately bring more bandwidth to handle all your devices at once – from your smartphone, to your smart watch, to your connected car and beyond!
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Starting Aug. 7, we are adding 5G access to our AT&T Unlimited Starter wireless plan for consumers starting at $35/mo for 4 lines. This means access to the AT&T 5G network will come at no additional cost for customers on any of our AT&T Unlimited Starter, Extra and Elite plans.3
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Also starting Aug. 7, we are adding 5G access to our AT&T Business Unlimited Web-Only and Starter plans. This means business customers with any of our AT&T Business Unlimited Web-Only, Starter, Performance and Elite plans will have 5G access at no additional cost. 4
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Many cool devices, including the Samsung Galaxy Note10+ 5G, Samsung Galaxy S20 family, Samsung Galaxy A71 5G, the LG V60 ThinQ 5G, and the LG VELVET 5G (and look for more coming soon).
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And our prepaid consumers looking for 5G service with no annual contract and no credit check have two options:
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AT&T PREPAID customers can now purchase a 5G-enabled device at an AT&T store or activate an eligible 5G-enabled device on the Unlimited Plus plan.
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On Aug. 21, Cricket Wireless customers will be able to activate 5G service on the Samsung Galaxy S20+ 5G. More details soon!
AT&T 5G promises businesses and consumers a whole new kind of network.
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5G has already having a significant impact on how businesses operate (https://www.business.att.com/learn/5G/). Now with nationwide 5G, we can build even more custom experiences for businesses to engage with their customers in new and exciting ways -- whether they’re a small business or a large enterprise.
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We’re already seeing 5G’s impact on the entertainment we consume today to things around the house, but as it progresses, it can power more immersive, multisensory, digital content like AR/VR that gives consumers an unrivaled interactive experience, live gaming and new experiences with connected devices such as your home appliances, security system or even your toothbrush.
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And as America looks ahead, technologies like 5G are going to play a huge role in building the future of all industries – with a big emphasis on healthcare, manufacturing, retail and live entertainment. Thanks to AT&T’s mmWave 5G technology (now available in parts of 35 cities across the country), we can enable those super-fast speeds and responsive connections.
“Our strategy of deploying 5G in both sub-6 (5G) and mmWave (5G+) spectrum bands will provide the best mix of speeds, latency and coverage that are needed to enable revolutionary new capabilities to fuel 5G experiences for consumers and businesses,” said Chris Sambar, EVP of Technology Operations. “Our competitors are still working to provide that same mix, which for them could take months or even years. What we offer is available to consumers and businesses today, and we’re not slowing down. As we have throughout our 144-year history, we’ll continue to innovate and invest in our network to expand our 5G coverage to more consumers and businesses across the country.”
Learn more about AT&T’s 5G network at att.com/5gforyou.
1 Best Network based on GWS OneScore, September 2019. Fastest based on analysis by Ookla® of Speedtest Intelligence® data median download speeds for Q2 2020. Ookla trademarks used under license and reprinted with permission.
2 AT&T 5G req's compatible plan and device. 5G service may not be available in your area. Go to att.com/5Gforyou for details.
3 AT&T may temporarily slow data speeds if the network is busy. Price requires AT&T Unlimited Starter, Autopay and Paperless Bill. Taxes and Fees Extra.
4 Business Unlimited Web Only and Business Unlimited Starter: AT&T may temporarily slow data speeds if the network is busy. Business Unlimited Performance: After 50GB, AT&T may temporarily slow data speeds if the network is busy.
*About AT&T Communications
We help family, friends and neighbors connect in meaningful ways every day. From the first phone call 140+ years ago to mobile video streaming, we innovate to improve lives. We have the nation’s fastest wireless network.** And according to America’s biggest test, we have the nation’s best wireless network.*** We’re building FirstNet just for first responders and creating next-generation mobile 5G. With a range of TV and video products, we deliver entertainment people love to talk about. Our smart, highly secure solutions serve nearly 3 million global businesses – nearly all of the Fortune 1000. And worldwide, our spirit of service drives employees to give back to their communities.
AT&T Communications is part of AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T). Learn more at att.com/CommunicationsNews.
AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc. Additional information about AT&T products and services is available at about.att.com. Follow our news on Twitter at @ATT, on Facebook at facebook.com/att and on YouTube at youtube.com/att.
© 2020 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the Globe logo and other marks are trademarks and service marks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
America’s Best Network based on GWS OneScore Sept. 2019; Nation’s fastest network based on analysis by Ookla® of Speedtest Intelligence® data median download speeds for Q2 2020. Ookla trademarks used under license and reprinted with permission.