5G network strategies diverge: Inside AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile’s different technology bets
AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile are building 5G in notably different ways, betting that their technology choices today will shape who leads the US market over the next decade.
AT&T has pushed furthest into outsourcing, handing control of its 5G core network to Microsoft in 2021 and leaning on cloud platforms and virtualisation instead of running everything in its own data centres. Verizon continues to favour a more controlled, in‑house approach with a focus on network reliability, while T‑Mobile leans on the broad spectrum portfolio it gained from Sprint to fill out nationwide coverage. These paths show that 5G leadership is not just about adding antennas, but about which mix of cloud, core design, and spectrum each carrier is willing to bet on.
More from Technology
Boldyn Networks, a neutral host infrastructure provider, has committed to bringing full 4G and 5G mobile coverage to all 121 stations on the London Un
Apple plans to start mass production of its own AI server chip in the second half of 2026, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The move comes as demand
South Korea and the Netherlands have agreed to step up cooperation on semiconductors and quantum computing as global trade tensions and supply chain s
UK-based analyst firm Juniper Research has published its "Top 10 Emerging Tech Trends for 2026," highlighting technologies it says will shape how orga
Unequal modulation (UEQM) in Wi‑Fi 8 lets a device use different modulation levels on different spatial streams in the same MIMO connection. Instead o
Daniel Kokotajlo, a former OpenAI researcher and co-author of the “AI 2027” scenario, has revised his forecast for when artificial general intelligenc