AT&T just announced that they will be rolling out 5G Network dubbed as their “5G Evolution.” The move by the network provider was mentioned to start this week in Austin, Texas. But, not everybody is pleased with the announcement.
According to Gizmodo, the roll-out of the so-called 5G Evolution network of AT&T would only be available for Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus users. CEO Randall Stephenson mentioned that their 5G Evolution would double the speed of the company’s regular LTE network and would be competitive to cable speeds.
AT&T also mentioned in a press conference that the 5G Evolution will “pave the way to the next generation of faster speeds for its wireless customers with the latest devices in over 20 major metro areas by the end of this year.” The potential for the 5G network in Austin was identified to be 500 or 600 megabits per second.
With that said, it was also mentioned that most of the people don't buy the announcement of AT&T. Since 5G Network is expected to appear for another three years, some say that it’s just a marketing strategy by the company desperate to seem innovative. Relieve people of seeing T-Mobile beating them was also mentioned.
Meanwhile, Digital Trends reported that AT&T seem to prioritize rich neighborhoods. A study from the UC Berkeley’s Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society, called “AT&T’s Digital Divide in California” had found out that there were some low-income areas in California stuck with a slow internet speed of 768Kbps.
The study noted that fiber-to-the-home households have a median income of $110,474 while DSL access homes with an income of $47,894. The researchers concluded that those offered by AT&T with fiber-to-the-home, internet speed wasn’t entirely regulated.
Another report from Cleveland showed that AT&T offers a difference in broadband access speed based on income. Nonetheless, the network provider stated that there is no discrimination occurring and that “access to wireless internet service” often bridges the gap in connection speeds.
