- At CES, AT&T (T -0.4%) has unveiled a look at its plans for 5G wireless tech, including testing the delivery technology for its DirecTV Now streaming video service.
- The company's "not waiting" for standards to be finalized, and indeed it's been working on expected specifications developed by 3GPP.
- At the pace 5G is developing, it could serve as a cheaper fiber-optic substitute as soon as 2018. AT&T says it's reached 14 Gbps speeds in lab trials, and will begin live testing of distributing DirecTV Now via 5G fixed wireless to homes in Austin, Texas, by midyear.
- AT&T is deploying three-channel carrier aggregation now, and will bring in 1-Gbps speeds this year through what's next: a launch of four-channel carrier aggregation and LTE-License Assisted Access in the coming year.