AT&T opens up 5G bandwidth to all their unlimited customers.

Since early 2020 the major phone carriers have all raced to be first with 5G. Each phone company had their own take on 5G. Verizon introduced 5G Ultra-wideband getting their customers download speeds as high as 900mbs. T-Mobile offered 5G with the most coverage in the most cities. And AT&T was the Goldie Locks carrier, offering faster 5G than T-Mobile with more coverage than Verizon. 

The one thing all three phone companies had in common was they reserved 5G for their premium Unlimited Data customers. To get the new revolutionary 5G you need three things. First you need to live somewhere that your phone carrier offers 5G, then you need a 5G compatible device. For apple users, the iPhone 12 series is the first to offer 5G access. Finally, to get 5G. You need to have a mobile plan with your carrier that offers access to their 5G network. Like 4K on your television, you can have a high end 4K TV, but you need 4K channels to take get the premium experience. Do not be fooled with the 5G symbol at the top of your phone. Without those three things, you do not have access to the 5G network.

Prior to 5G actually being launched in major cities, AT&T was testing a faster 4G LTE network. They named it 5G E, a deceptive name for consumers. This was at a time when major carriers were racing to be the first to offer 5G. AT&T officially stated 5G E was an advanced LTE network and 5G was not currently available. A marketing decoy that did not go unnoticed and was heavily criticized by Verizon and T-Mobile. In large cities all over the country, customers were reporting that they now had 5G. Because AT&T put 5G E at the top of their phones next to the signal strength. Mind you, this was at a time Samsung was only experimenting with 5G antennas and apple was two years away from a device that would support 5G.

AT&T is now offering access to the 5G network to all their unlimited customers. Maybe to make up for the 5G E conundrum or because it is the right thing to do for their consumers. We are now over a year since the first major cities had access to 5G. Small towns and rural areas are all starting to see 5G towers go up. Cellphone carriers should not try to monetize every little aspect of the business. If they now offer 5G, they should offer it to all customers. Only offering the best features like 5G, to the new more expensive plans seems great to new customers and unrewarding for the loyal long-time customers.

AT&T is the first carrier to open their 5G network to all unlimited customers. If you are a current AT&T customer and grandfathered into one of their older unlimited plans, here are the plans that now qualify.

As 5G develops it will lead to great innovation for all technology. Cellular bandwidth capable of 1GB down and upload speeds will revolutionize the way we access the internet. If you have AT&T but you do not have Unlimited data, be sure to get a free quote and compare the prices.

- Mobile Advisor