AT&T Launches its Fake 5G Service in Indianapolis

So we've noted repeatedly that while fifth generation (5G) wireless will someday deliver ultra-fast, low-latency broadband to Americans, actual deployment of this technology is still several years off. The 5G standard still hasn't even been finished yet, and any real deployment of the technology isn't expected until 2020 or later. Of course that hasn't stopped carriers from over-hyping their various experiments with the technology that may someday make up the standard, just as they did ahead of the launches of 2G, 3G and 4G technology.

Case in point: AT&T back in April unveiled "5G Evolution" , insisting that the carrier "plans to pave the way to the next generation of faster speeds for its wireless customers with the latest devices in over 20 major metro areas by the end of this year."

More specifically, AT&T is testing 4x4 MIMO antennas and 256 QAM, technologies that can provide faster speeds. But they aren't "5G," and T-Mobile had already been deploying these technologies to speed up its existing network since last fall.

“Our 5G Evolution in Austin gives our customers a taste of the future," an AT&T marketing exec says of the offering. "With 5G Evolution from AT&T you don’t have to wait to experience endless entertainment possibilities on the next generation network when you have the latest devices."

Except you will have to wait. AT&T's initially only tested the technology in Austin, and the faster speeds will only be accessible via one (technically two) device(s): the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus. That said, AT&T did announce today that it's also launching the offering in parts of Indianapolis, noting that customers with the right hardware walking through the right areas might just get a glimpse of the faster connectivity.

AT&T says they'll eventually be launching 5G Evolution by the end of the year in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Nashville, and San Francisco -- up to 20 markets in total. But again:5G connectivity remains pretty far out on the horizon, and these are just the very first steps in the standard's direction.