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AT&T Mobile 5G Headed to Dallas, Atlanta, Waco

The carrier today named three of the 12 cities where it plans to launch super-fast, low latency mobile 5G service service by the end of the year.

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

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Residents of Dallas, Atlanta, and Waco, Texas, will be among the first to try out AT&T's upcoming mobile 5G service.

AT&T last month first revealed plans to launch the super-fast mobile service in a dozen cities by the end of 2018. Now, the carrier has named three of those locations; it plans toannounce others "in the coming months."

"Ultimately, we expect to reach theoretical peak speeds of multiple gigabits per second on devices through mobile 5G," the company wrote in a Wednesday blog post. "While speed is important, we also expect to see much lower latency rates." Latency refers to the length of time it takes a network to recognize you've requested data and to start sending it.

To make this plan a reality, AT&T is opening a new 5G lab in Austin, where it will test the technology. In this new lab, AT&T engineers will "build and test creative solutions and run 'stress tests' – simulating real-world customer experiences – with mobile 5G network equipment and devices from multiple vendors before they are rolled out to customers," AT&T wrote.

Last year, AT&T unveiled "5G Evolution," but that was largely marketing lingo and not true 5G. This upcoming effort will be true mobile 5G, and will "unlock a number of new, exciting experiences" related to virtual reality, self-driving cars, and 4K video, AT&T said.

"We expect future 5G technologies will eventually allow future driverless vehicles to make real-time decisions based on information that goes beyond the individual sensors onboard the vehicle itself," AT&T said last month. "Vehicles will be able to 'see' around corners, through other vehicles, and at longer distances. This will enable vehicles to quickly make sense of their environment and help guide safe operations on the road."

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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