AT&T is making a major upgrade to its 5G network, potentially challenging Verizon and T-Mobile's dominance.
AT&T is suddenly a much better network.
AT&T's Chief Operating Officer, Jeff McElfresh, stated in November 2026 that the company has started using EchoStar spectrum, and clients are already noticing better service. He added that the company is raising expectations for advanced networking in the country.
AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon have been competing over network performance. Ookla reported that T-Mobile had the best network across all technologies, including 5G, during the first six months of 2025.
RootMetrics found T-Mobile to have the best 5G availability. However, Verizon was rated as having the best, fastest, and most dependable 5G, while AT&T had the top overall network.
With its increased spectrum, AT&T can begin to rival the 5G speeds of Verizon and T-Mobile. Simultaneously, it is still migrating users to standalone 5G.
T-Mobile recorded a median 5G download speed of 299.36 Mbps in the first half of the year, surpassing Verizon (214.58 Mbps) and AT&T (158.56 Mbps). The possible 80 percent increase brings AT&T closer to T-Mobile's median 5G download speed.
T-Mobile also purchased low-band 600MHz licenses from EchoStar. Deployments may be gradual, but the ultimate implementation will greatly improve the carrier's geographic coverage.
Rather than making unsupported claims, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon often select specific data to support their claims of superiority, which can be confusing to users. In this environment, AT&T's straightforward explanation of how users can anticipate enhanced service is appreciated.