Your AT&T 5G Is Getting an Upgrade: What You Need to Know About the EchoStar Spectrum Rollout

Earlier this year, AT&T made a major move by agreeing to purchase spectrum from EchoStar, and now, we’ve officially hit the “on” switch and have deployed this spectrum across the country under a short-term spectrum manager lease. Adding additional spectrum to our 5G network will make your everyday experience with AT&T faster and better than ever. Let’s talk about how this $23 billion transaction translates into real benefits for you.

Here are the five things every AT&T customer should know about this game-changing upgrade:

1. Your 5G Is About to Get Much Faster (Up to 80% Faster)!

The new spectrum being added to our network means you can expect download speeds to jump by up to 80% for mobility customers and up to 55% for AT&T Internet Air customers when connected to this upgraded spectrum. To put these speeds in perspective, if it took you 4 minutes to download a full-length movie with AT&T Internet Air, you could now get it in about 2 minutes.

2. Better Mobile Experience

This spectrum upgrade is live in more than 5,300 cities and across 48 states, from New York City to Chicago, to Phoenix, and Seattle. Have you noticed the difference yet?

3. Improved Home Internet, Too

It’s not just your phone that is going to get a boost. AT&T Internet Air customers connected to the new spectrum are winning big and may notice up to 55% faster download speeds at home. Plus, AT&T will now be able to serve more customers in more places through our AT&T Internet Air service, including rural areas where we don’t yet have fiber. If you’ve been wanting to join the AT&T family, but you are located in an area where fiber is not available yet, this is your sign to try AT&T Internet Air!

4. First Responders get an Upgrade 

FirstNet®, Built with AT&T – the only network built with and for America’s first responders – also benefits from this upgrade. The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) was created by Congress and charged with carrying out public safety’s vision of FirstNet, bringing public safety a nationwide network built with and for them. The FirstNet Authority chose AT&T to build that network. FirstNet customers also get access to AT&T’s commercial network. That means police, firefighters, and EMTs get even faster and more reliable service in the moments that matter most. And when first responders have the connection they need, it helps keep everyone in the community safe. Compare that to commercial carriers like T-Mobile, which claims to support public safety when it matters most but reveals in fine print that their coverage “may be impacted by emergencies.”

Supporting them is supporting all of us.

5. The Best Keeps Getting Better – Guaranteed

With these upgrades, AT&T is doubling down on its promise to be the best connectivity provider in the nation. Over the past 5 years, we have invested more capital than any other company in U.S. telecommunications infrastructure. So, when it comes to how much we have invested into our network, T-Mobile and Verizon don’t compare. And, with AT&T you get connectivity you can depend on, backed by the AT&T Guarantee. Choose the provider with the first and only guarantee that includes both wireless and fiber networks and is always a step ahead.

We’re excited for you to feel the difference. The best is only getting better.