AT&T bringing mobile 5G to Houston



Keep going to see which national retail and food chains have the fastest free Wi-Fi connections. AT&T says it will bring 5G wireless service to Houston this year. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

Keep going to see which national retail and food chains have the fastest free Wi-Fi connections. AT&T says it will bring 5G wireless service to Houston this year. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File) Photo: Matt Rourke, STF Photo: Matt Rourke, STF Image 1 of / 26 Caption Close AT&T bringing mobile 5G to Houston 1 / 26 Back to Gallery

AT&T will bring mobile 5G, a faster mobile Internet service, to Houston as it continues to expand the number of cities receiving this upgrade in wireless technology.

The new cities named Monday -- Houston, Jacksonville, Louisville, New Orleans and San Antonio -- join seven others that were previously announced to get 5G.

Also on Monday, AT&T in Waco made its first wireless 5G data transfer over millimeter wave. The company plans to deploy 5G over this extremely high frequency in dense areas where extra capacity and coverage are needed most. In other areas, it will deploy 5G on mid and low-band spectrum holdings.

MORE: 5G promises Houstonians faster internet, more choice

"We're at the dawn of something new that will define the next decade and generation of connectivity," Andre Fuetsch, chief technology officer for AT&T Communications, said in a news release. "Future smart factories and retailers, self-driving cars, untethered virtual and augmented realities, and other yet to be discovered experiences will grow up on tomorrow's 5G networks."

The AT&T news comes on the heels of Verizon announcing residential 5G broadband in Houston. Verizon will use radio signals, rather than copper or fiber cables, to provide internet and phone services to the home

Sprint has likewise named Houston as a city that will get its version of 5G. Transmitters and other infrastructure are being moved into place this year, with sales of 5G service beginning in 2019. The company recently announced a merger with T-Mobile, largely to "light up a broad and deep 5G network faster than either company could separately," according to an April 29 news release.