AT&T exec: “DSS is an important steppingstone on our path to nationwide 5G”
AT&T has expanded its 5G services to an additional 28 new markets. With the latest expansion, which includes Austin, Dallas, Maui, Miami, Orlando and Salt Lake City, the carrier’s next-gen coverage now reaches 160 million people in 355 markets across the country. Nationwide coverage is expected later this year.
As AT&T’s 5G coverage continues to grow, the carrier is also using Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) in some of the newly added markets. DSS technology allows carriers to share the same channel between both 4G and 5G users simultaneously, based on demand, creating a seamless experience for customers.
According to AT&T, DSS will allow the carrier to deploy 5G faster and more efficiently.
“DSS is an important steppingstone on our path to nationwide 5G,” said Igal Elbaz, SVP of wireless and access technology. “We were the first U.S. carrier to deploy this technology in our network, and it’s now playing an important role as we work toward a nationwide 5G footprint this summer.”
When calling AT&T the first to deploy DSS, Elbaz is referring to the carrier’s limited North Texas deployment of the technology in early June.
At the time the deployment was announced, Elbaz wrote in a blog that DSS “allows us to bypass the process of re-farming spectrum in the near term, which ultimately means a smoother transition and expedited 5G adoption.”
Verizon recently revealed the successful completion of DSS field trials in its live network in Minnesota and Texas, adding that the testing “showed effective completion of data sessions with both LTE and 5G [New Radio] services running simultaneously over low band spectrum.”
Verizon is working with both Ericsson and Nokia, but also stated that it is actively working with Samsung Networks on DSS.
Verizon and AT&T appear to be the only U.S. carriers making DSS progress and In February, T-Mobile President of Technology Neville Ray non-specifically noted “vendor delays” of DSS solutions.
To see a full list of the AT&T’s new 5G markets, go here.
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