AT&T’s 5G network goes live in 12 cities — but you can’t use it yet

AT&T says its 5G network went live in parts of 12 cities Dec 18, making it the first wireless carrier to launch a mobile network based on the 5G standard. A small number of customers will be able to use the network starting on Dec 21, when AT&T will begin distributing its first 5G device: a mobile hot spot that can connect to the network’s much faster airwaves. But it’ll be a slow launch; you won’t be able to go out to a store and buy AT&T’s 5G hot spot for several more months. For now, AT&T is reaching out to businesses in the area and inviting them to try out the new tech, seemingly as a way to ease in the network and make sure it’s working well before bringing more and more people onto the service. The announcement suggests that future 5G devices will also require “5G compatible” data plans in order to connect to the faster network. That initial plan is more expensive than the LTE plan offered with a similar 4G hot spot ($50 for 10GB), but it also offers more data. And despite the hot spot launching this week, AT&T still isn’t offering real-world speed estimates. A spokesperson said the hot spot has peak theoretical speeds of 1.2 Gbps, but that “actual speeds will be lower.”