Quickfire Questions : Brian Daly , AT & T
Given the global shift towards remote work in many industries that is expected to live on after the pandemic , how is 5G essential to supporting that kind of future ?
“ AT & T ’ s network was there for its customers during the last year because it was optimized with future demands in mind and designed to adapt to unexpected challenges . On an average day now , about 468 petabytes of data crosses our network , which is up 40 % year-over-year .
At-home videos calls and conferences are becoming the norm , and that ’ s why we ’ re investing heavily in AT & T 5G and AT & T Fiber . The lower latency , higher bandwidth and greater security of AT & T ’ s 5G network will allow for an enhanced user experience as we continue to work , learn and consume entertainment at home .”
How is the rollout of 5G in the
US changing the user experience for AT & T ' s customers ?
“ Our 5G network now covers 230mn Americans in 14,000 cities and towns , and AT & T 5G + is now available in parts of 38 cities in the U . S . We ’ re in the business of connectivity , and we continue to invest and innovate to improve the experience for consumers across the country .”
How can MNOs ensure that 5G increases coverage across rural , marginalised and isolated communities , rather than just affluent urban ones ?
“ We are working closely and collaboratively with the government , our industry and customers to expand and enhance our networks to reach rural areas . We support the FCC ’ s efforts to expand broadband access to many parts of rural America through the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund and Digital Opportunity Data Collection .
There ’ s still a lot of work to do … But we ’ re working to serve the needs of our rural customers , we ’ re excited about it , and the network team has a lot of momentum heading into 2021 .”
48 July 2021