AT&T's big 5G network upgrade is now available nationwide

5G service has been the standard for years, but the 5G you’re used to isn’t really 5G. The majority of 5G service available today is what’s called “5G non-standalone,” which is built on 4G infrastructure, but with the addition of a 5G layer that facilitates additional bandwidth and faster data transmission.

Carriers are at work rolling out standalone 5G connectivity, though, and today, AT&T announced that its 5G standalone network is now deployed nationwide — though not all customers have access yet.

In 5G standalone networks like the one AT&T says it’s made available across the country, both transmission equipment like cell towers as well as the network “core” that powers connectivity on the provider’s end are upgraded to better take advantage of modern communications tech. For consumers, AT&T says these improvements will mean lower latency and improved upload speeds compared to legacy 5G non-standalone networks.

AT&T says that “select services” on its network are already using 5G standalone across the country. It also highlights that the latest Apple Watch wearables can take advantage of the provider’s 5G RedCap (short for reduced capacity) connectivity, as opposed to the LTE connection more commonly used in smartwatches.

If you’re an AT&T subscriber with a 5G-enabled smartphone, these improvements will make their way to you eventually, but not necessarily right away. While AT&T’s 5G standalone network is now technically rolled out nationwide, it’s not yet available to everyone using AT&T’s 5G service. The company says it’s in the process of “expanding availability to more customers as device support and provisioning allow.”