Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR AT&T has announced its 5G standalone network is deployed all across the US.
Compared to non-standalone, 5G standalone offers benefits like faster upload speeds.
Customers are being onboarded to 5G standalone gradually.
5G service has been the standard for years, but the 5G you’re used to isn’t really 5G. The majority of 5G service available today is what’s called “5G non-standalone,” which is built on 4G infrastructure, but with the addition of a 5G layer that facilitates additional bandwidth and faster data transmission.
Carriers are at work rolling out standalone 5G connectivity, though, and today, AT&T announced that its 5G standalone network is now deployed nationwide — though not all customers have access yet.
Don’t want to miss the best from Android Authority? Set us as a favorite source in Google Discover to never miss our latest exclusive reports, expert analysis, and much more.
to never miss our latest exclusive reports, expert analysis, and much more. You can also set us as a preferred source in Google Search by clicking the button below.
In 5G standalone networks like the one AT&T says it’s made available across the country, both transmission equipment like cell towers as well as the network “core” that powers connectivity on the provider’s end are upgraded to better take advantage of modern communications tech. For consumers, AT&T says these improvements will mean lower latency and improved upload speeds compared to legacy 5G non-standalone networks.
AT&T says that “select services” on its network are already using 5G standalone across the country. It also highlights that the latest Apple Watch wearables can take advantage of the provider’s 5G RedCap (short for reduced capacity) connectivity, as opposed to the LTE connection more commonly used in smartwatches.
If you’re an AT&T subscriber with a 5G-enabled smartphone, these improvements will make their way to you eventually, but not necessarily right away. While AT&T’s 5G standalone network is now technically rolled out nationwide, it’s not yet available to everyone using AT&T’s 5G service. The company says it’s in the process of “expanding availability to more customers as device support and provisioning allow.”
Follow