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16h ago

AT&T Switches On EchoStar Mid-Band at 23,000 Sites, Promising Faster 5G in 5,300 Cities

The carrier is using an interim lease on EchoStar airwaves to add capacity before the $23 billion purchase closes next year.

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This 2011 photo shows AT&T workers installing gear to handle 5G signals. The telecom giant said Monday it had deployed wireless spectrum from EchoStar to boost speeds on its mobile phone network by up to 80% in Colorado and elsewhere. The upgrades came three months after AT&T agreed to purchase the spectrum. (Courtesy of AT&T)
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Overview

  • AT&T reports download gains of up to 80% for mobile users and up to 55% for its Internet Air home broadband service.
  • The upgrade is live across more than 5,300 cities in 48 states after integration at nearly 23,000 cell sites in a few weeks, according to the company.
  • AT&T says customers will get added capacity for streaming, gaming, and AI-heavy apps at no additional charge.
  • The company frames the added mid-band capacity as a way to grow converged mobile–home internet subscribers and reduce the need for new cell-site construction.
  • FirstNet users are included in the enhancements with always-on priority across AT&T’s commercial bands, though broad independent verification of the specific speed gains remains limited so far.