AT&T’s low-band 5G network now covers more than 250 million people, meeting a year-end goal about six months early and maintaining its competitive position with rivals Verizon and T-Mobile US.  

The carrier’s low-band 5G network, which relies on dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) software that allows operators to run 4G LTE and 5G service on the same spectrum concurrently, covered 230 million U.S. residents in March. AT&T’s 5G network coverage riding on millimeter-wave (mmWave) spectrum remains mostly unchanged from its last update in March. The mmWave service, dubbed AT&T 5G+, is still available in parts of 38 cities, but has been added to additional venues, bringing its total footprint to 24 locations, according to AT&T. The company said its mmWave 5G network will reach parts of 40 cities and 40 venues before the end of the year. AT&T started 2021 with mmWave coverage in 14 venues. 

Following that relatively tepid expansion of low- and high-band 5G coverage, much of the carrier’s 5G deployment will be focused on its recently acquired C-band spectrum through 2023. AT&T reiterated its plans for an accelerated pace of mid-band deployment that was announced alongside its decision to spin off and combine its WarnerMedia business with Discovery. 

Those activities will get underway in earnest when the first tranche of that spectrum becomes available later this year, according to AT&T. The operator said it successfully completed field test calls over C-band spectrum in Plano, Texas, in late April, and again in Detroit in early May. 

However, AT&T is confronting a lot of moving parts and shifts in strategy as it ramps up those mid-band 5G deployments. It recently sold off and gave up control of multiple pieces of technology that are central to its 5G infrastructure and shared plans to move its 5G network core and services to Microsoft Azure. That effort won't be complete until mid 2024.

Despite those changes, the carrier claims its mid-band 5G network will cover up to 75 million people by the end of 2022, and 200 million U.S. residents by the end of 2023. 

AT&T, which recently copped to its position as the “third-place player” in the U.S. wireless market, could catch up to Verizon on 5G availability in a couple of years. Verizon’s current plan calls for 175 million people to be covered with its mid-band 5G spectrum holdings in 2023.

Meanwhile, T-Mobile US, the undisputed 5G leader in the U.S., recently pushed its unencumbered low-band 5G network to cover 300 million people and said it’s mid-band 5G network covers more than 150 million people. T-Mobile also said it remains on track to reach at least 200 million people with mid-band 5G coverage by the end of this year.