AT&T Unleashes Major5G Upgrade with New Mid-Band SpectrumAT&T has launched a significant mid-band5G upgrade, activating newly acquired3.45GHz spectrum across nearly23,000 cell sites in more than5,300 cities across48 states. Customers with compatible devices can now expect download speeds up to80% faster, while AT&T’s5G home internet service, Internet Air, sees a boost of up to55%—all at no extra cost.
What’s Behind the Upgrade?
The centerpiece of this expansion is the3.45GHz band, a mid-band frequency that strikes an ideal balance between speed and coverage. AT&T acquired this spectrum from EchoStar’s Boost Mobile/Dish portfolio and has now integrated it into its existing5G network. By combining the new3.45GHz spectrum with C-band and low-band frequencies, AT&T can create wider channels and use carrier aggregation to deliver higher peak speeds and more consistent throughput.
This integration allows AT&T to allocate more spectrum to5G at any given time, giving phones and home gateways a broader data pathway. The3.45GHz band falls within3GPP band n77, which is supported by most modern devices, ensuring broad compatibility and no adoption bottlenecks.
Why Mid-Band Spectrum MattersMid-band is often called the “Goldilocks” zone for5G: low-band signals travel far but offer slower speeds, while millimeter wave delivers blistering speed but struggles with coverage and penetration. Mid-band, however, offers the best of both worlds—delivering several hundred megabits per second in real-world conditions, even indoors and in dense urban environments.
By beefing up its mid-band layer, AT&T not only increases speed but also expands network capacity. This means faster downloads, smoother streaming, and more reliable connections during peak hours when many users are online.
Where Customers Will Notice the DifferenceThe upgrade covers bustling cities, fast-growing suburbs, and high-traffic areas such as sports stadiums, shopping districts, and business corridors. Residents and visitors in these regions should experience snappier app updates, shorter upload times, and fewer buffering issues.
Even AT&T’s FirstNet, the dedicated public safety network, benefits from the added capacity and improved mid-band coverage. First responders will see enhanced performance during large events and emergencies, ensuring prioritized traffic stays reliable.
How AT&T Compares to CompetitorsT-Mobile led the way with its2.5GHz mid-band deployment, followed by Verizon’s C-band rollout. AT&T has long been praised for network reliability, though it has sometimes lagged behind in raw download speeds according to industry reports from Opensignal, Ookla, and RootMetrics. The addition of3.45GHz spectrum deepens AT&T’s mid-band holdings, allowing it to lift overall speed averages and close the gap with rivals—especially in markets where congestion has historically slowed performance.
What You Need to BenefitMost recent5G smartphones support band n77, including:
- iPhone13 and later- Samsung Galaxy S21 and later- Google Pixel6 and newerTo get the best experience, ensure5G is
enabled in device settings, install the latest software updates, and look for “5G” or “5G+” indicators.
Customers using AT&T’s Internet Air service will also see noticeable speed improvements in areas where the new
spectrum is active. - Businesses leveraging5G for point-of-sale systems, video collaboration, or field connectivity may experience
fewer bottlenecks, especially during busy periods.
The Technical Edge: Spectrum, Channels, and CapacityMid-band performance depends on channel width and aggregation. By pairing3.45GHz with C-band under the n77 umbrella, AT&T can create wider effective channels, boosting both peak rates and sustained throughput as more users connect. Where available, a5G standalone core further reduces latency, improving consistency for gaming and cloud applications.
The immediate benefit is increased capacity: more spectrum per site means less competition for bandwidth, leading to steadier speeds in crowded neighborhoods and venues.
What’s Next for AT&T’s5G Network?
Expect more mid-band deployments, advanced carrier aggregation, and ongoing software refinements. With no price increase tied to this upgrade, AT&T is betting that faster, more reliable speeds will attract both mobile and home internet customers.
For consumers, the takeaway is clear: if you have a recent5G device, you’ll likely feel the difference. And for the broader5G race in the United States, AT&T’s move just made the competition even tighter.
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