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Aiming to grab some 5G limelight back from Verizon Communications ( VZ ), AT&T ( T ) announced on Friday plans for trials of next-generation 5G wireless technology in 2016 and, in a surprise, touted 5G services to fixed locations such as homes and businesses, not mobile devices. Verizon ( VZ ) in September declared its intention to be a global leader , and the first in the U.S., in rolling out a 5G wireless network commercially. AT&T has been less vocal, but on Friday CEO Randall Stephenson said in a CNBC interview that 5G speeds could potentially match fiber-optic connections to homes. “Actually, we are getting performance and testing that says that we can get as good a performance off 5G wireless technology into the home as we’re getting off fiber today,” he told CNBC. On its Q4 earnings conference call on Jan. 21, Verizon also hinted at fixed broadband. “We would hope that the FCC moves quickly to adopt the rules to facilitate 5G deployment,” said Verizon CFO Fran Shammo. “(When you) think about 5G, it may not just be about mobility. It may be about other use cases; it’s not just about mobility.” AT&T agreed to deploy fixed broadband services to homes in rural areas using 4G technology as part of conditions tied to its acquisition of satellite TV broadcaster DirecTV Group in July. On Friday, AT&T said that it will test 5G technologies in Austin, Texas, with Intel ( INTC ) and Ericsson ( ERIC ). AT&T says that it sees a role for 5G in “virtual reality, self-driving cars, robotics and smart cities.” Tech Standards For 5G Wireless Not Yet Set AT&T says that it expects 5G speeds to be anywhere from 10 to 100 times faster than 4G LTE connections, much as Verizon has stated. Verizon has said that it plans to deploy 5G commercially in 2017, though its plans are still vague. AT&T said it expects to deploy 5G after standards are set. “We’re conducting our 5G trials in such a way that we’ll be able to pivot to compliant commercial deployments once 5G technology standards are set. The international standards body, 3GPP, will likely complete the first phase of that process in 2018,” the company said in a press r elease . Europe, South Korea, Japan and China all have 5G initiatives under way. South Korea plans large-scale 5G testing around the 2018 Winter Olympics. In Japan, NTT DoCoMo ( DCM ) is gearing up for the 2020 Summer Olympics. The next World Radiocommunication Conference, where 5G spectrum allocation is expected to be discussed, isn’t until 2019. Many countries, including the U.S., are looking at high frequencies, such as 24 GHz and 37 GHz, for 5G services. However, 5G could surface earlier in bands below 6 GHz, some analysts say. In that case, networks could continue using interfaces designed for LTE gear. Also, 5G marketing battles could start long before higher-bandwidth 5G services are ready commercially. Scalper1 News
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