AT&T PRESIDENT KEVIN PETERSEN REVEALS WHY 5G IS TAKING SO LONG TO COME OUT

A While the ultimate goal of 5G is to offer speeds that rival the fastest wifi, not all network frequencies are created equal. As Petersen describes, "there are different types of deployment. There's the millimeter wave deployment where you truly do get the gig-plus speed or the wider deployment where you're getting great coverage as well as performance." So, at least initially, 5G customers will be swapping between blistering-fast maximum speeds in smaller doses and something that's a marked improvement but not quite gig-speed everywhere else.T&T hosted its annual Shape conference last month to showcase one of the largest implementations of 5G networking the world has ever seen. But, for casual mobile device users and tech enthusiasts alike, the supposed wonders of 5G remain elusive. Following the event, Newsweek spoke with AT&T President Kevin Petersen to discuss the rollout of gig-speed mobile networks and what they might mean for entertainment and business experiences of the future.