AT&T deployed standalone (SA) 5G across the US to millions of customers after initially targeting a launch in 2020 before a limited commercial roll out two years later.

Rival T-Mobile US launched its SA 5G network in 2020 using its low-band 600MHz spectrum, but in a blog post today (8 October) AT&T’s Yigal Elbaz, SVP and network CTO, stated “it’s often not about who’s first or fastest, it’s about the network you can count on” regarding connectivity.

Verizon started its transition to SA 5G in 2022 after conducting user trials and initial testing in 2021. Last year Verizon executives stated its network roadmap involved preparing new SA 5G products and services.

In a post on LinkedIn last month, Dell’Oro Group research director Dave Bolan discovered Verizon is employing SA 5G in California using 3700MHz and 850MHz bands.

With the nationwide launch, Elbaz stated select services on its network are using SA 5G and noted the operator has millions of customers on the network. He explained AT&T will expand availability to more customers “as device support and provisioning allow”.

In July, AT&T achieved nationwide coverage of its 5G reduced capability (RedCap) network by using its SA 5G network.

“The new Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and Apple Watch SE 3 are all available on our nationwide 5G RedCap network and customers can look forward to a growing portfolio of devices,” Elbaz said.

A representative for AT&T told Mobile World Live “customers across consumer, AT&T Internet Air, IoT and business enterprise segments are already benefiting from the enhanced capabilities” of its SA 5G  platform.

The mobile operator is in the process of migrating all its services to the SA 5G network, according to the representative.

AT&T has not said which vendors it is working with for its SA 5G network, but it did strike a $14 billion deal with Ericsson in 2023 to develop open RAN.

The representative told MWL it is working with multiple vendors on SA 5G.

During MWC25 Barcelona, the GSMA predicted SA 5G will drive 70 per cent of all enterprise revenue expansion until 2030, representing a $127 billion opportunity for the industry.