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What's in a name? 5G wireless claims, but no real network

What's in a name? 5G wireless claims, but no real network
6 years 11 months 6 days ago Tuesday, January 08 2019 Jan 8, 2019 January 08, 2019 3:23 PM January 08, 2019 in News - AP Texas Headlines

By MAE ANDERSON
AP Technology Writer

NEW YORK (AP) - AT&T has drawn ridicule by relabeling the network used by some of its phones as "5G E" to signal that the next-generation wireless network is here.

Problem is, phones capable of connecting to 5G aren't coming for another few months, and a national 5G network won't be deployed until 2020 or 2021.

But Verizon, which complained Tuesday about AT&T's move, did something similar when it launched a residential wireless service with the 5G moniker using its own proprietary standards.

A new generation of wireless network comes along every several years, so the stakes are high for carriers to establish their dominance. When it's fully deployed, the "5G" network is expected to give mobile users faster speeds for video, self-driving cars and connected devices at home.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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