Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile have rolled out 5G networks to some degree across the United States, and while some have been more successful than others, they’re already alternatives to landline internet for many people. AT&T, in particular, has thought of a smart way to harness its 5G network that you’ve probably thought about yourself — as a Wi-Fi router that you can just plug in and get going in no time.
AT&T has launched a plug-and-play Wi-Fi solution that it calls the “Internet Air”. All you need to get it going is to follow five steps, and according to the carrier, you’ll have a working Wi-Fi connection in about 15 minutes. Internet Air will use the existing AT&T 5G connection as your house’s broadband Internet connection for $55 per month. T-Mobile and Verizon have both been rolling out 5G-based home internet over the past few years, and Internet Air appears to be AT&T’s direct competitor.
The company has already rolled out Internet Air to certain markets, and while this isn’t a nationwide rollout just yet, it is landing in a number of major cities in the US, including:
- Los Angeles, CA
- Philadelphia, PA
- Cincinnati, OH
- Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon, PA
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Las Vegas, NV
- Phoenix (Prescott), AZ
- Chicago, IL
- Detroit, MI
- Flint-Saginaw-Bay City, MI
- Hartford-New Haven, CT
- Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN
- Portland, OR
- Salt Lake City, UT
- Seattle-Tacoma, WA
- Tampa-St. Petersburg (Sarasota), FL
A mature 5G connection has the potential to be just as good, if not better, than your existing fiber Internet, as you might have been able to notice when you use your phone as a mobile hotspot. This isn’t a replacement for fiber Internet, at least not right now, but it might make sense for places where fiber service isn’t as good or reliable, or is more on the expensive side. There are a lot of households in the United States where they don’t even have Internet access at all — a study published last year placed that number at 14 million households, or 12.22% of households across the nation. This could be a solution to bring high-speed Internet to these households, provided they live in a place where they have solid 5G reception.
Source: AT&T
