As of June 2020, AT&T has covered more than 160 million people with its 5G network with its goal to offer nationwide coverage by the end of the year. In fact, CFO John Stephens mentioned while addressing AT&T’s shareholders that nationwide 5G should come as soon as the end of this Summer.
The eyes of millions are on many wireless providers as the promise of 5G capabilities continues to build. T-Mobile’s claim of a nationwide 5G network and eventual merger with Sprint has upped the ante with wireless providers such as AT&T looking to follow suit. Chris Sambar the EVP of Technology Operations stated, “…for the past three months, AT&T’s network team continued to build and test our network so that we could emerge from this season with stronger, broader 5G coverage for our customers across the country.”
The importance of 5G goes far beyond downloading games with crisper graphics or streaming Netflix on the go. The business applications and applications that will be implemented into various infrastructures are notable in the ways they will transform many activities and generate trillions of dollars for the economy. Everything from the way we manufacture to our health care services and even how we navigate the streets of our cities is slated to change as 5G continues to unveil its capabilities.
AI, IoT, and 5G
AT&T’s business goals for 5G are the same as we’ve mentioned. As one of the top four wireless providers in the country, the company stands to make a sizable chunk from the multi-trillion-dollar pie. Building its infrastructure throughout the nation will help it keep pace or even beat the rest of the industry as the demand for 5G applications grows in the business sector.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) are two huge parts of the technology sector that are poised to have a revolution within their perspective fields. 5G will enable AI to use predictive algorithms and advanced learning to increase productivity and logistics in sectors such as shipping, routing, and safety. In IoT, communication between devices without the need for input from a human, everything from the way cars communicate with traffic lights to machines working together to overcome complex problems when building products in a factory will be possible.
AT&T will be working to provide fast 5G networks to businesses across the country and capitalize on selling this technology of a not-so-distant future. It remains to be seen if the company will be able to overcome supply chain issues, layoffs, and a change in revenue brought by COVID-19; however, as a pioneer of modern communication, one thing is for sure, the telecom giant is in this for the long haul.
Source: Fox Business