The University of Tennessee and AT&T recently announced a collaboration on 5G+ research that will improve rural availability to high-speed connections.
The research includes bringing a 5G+ connection to UT’s Knoxville campus. 5G+ is a term that AT&T uses to describe the 5G connection they deliver on the extremely high-speed millimeter-wave spectrum. For the user, delivery on the millimeter-wave spectrum simply means that their device’s speeds are faster than they would be on a basic 5G service.
AT&T’s 5G+ service is available in 38 cities along with a handful of stadiums and airports. UT’s campus will be the second location in Tennessee to have a 5G+ connection after Nashville became the first in 2019.
“We are excited to bring the expertise and talent of our faculty together with the capabilities of an industry leader like AT&T to solve real-world problems,” Chancellor Donde Plowman said in UT’s news report. “Our relationship will not only provide a better network on our campus for students, faculty, and staff, but it will also create opportunities for innovation and collaboration that could change the lives of Tennesseans.”
AT&T will also use UT’s campus as a testbed to try new services and methods with UT students and staff. Together, the University of Tennessee and AT&T will research ways to help rural areas receive access to 5G connections.
Because 5G requires more towers to provide service, rural areas without the necessary infrastructure struggle to receive the 5G services that urban areas do. If research is successful, the results could improve education, telehealth, security, and any other industries that could benefit from virtual connections or monitoring.
On a less serious note, AT&T users would be able to do what they do faster than ever. Everything such as streaming, gaming, or virtual calls could be faster with 5G+.
“The men and women of AT&T Tennessee are turning billions of dollars of investments into high-speed connections for businesses and residents across the state, and with this announcement, the staff and students at UT will have access to technology capable of unforeseen innovation. This investment is possible thanks to the positive pro-investment policies pursued by Tennessee’s legislative leadership, who created a regulatory environment welcoming of next-generation networks,” Joelle Phillips, President of AT&T Tennessee, said in UT’s news report.
For now, many businesses are still looking for faster speeds and better connectivity. Even with 5G, reliability and consistent services aren’t always a guarantee. The quickest way to improve your reliability now and in the future is through data center services.
Fortunately, Knoxville is also home sweet home to our fully redundant data center. If you’d like to learn more, please get in touch with us today.
