AT&T and Cisco have introduced 5G network capabilities to boost performance for IoT applications across the USA.

The AT&T 5G network is ready to deliver lower latency and faster speeds for enterprise IoT deployments using 5G certified devices.

AT&T and Cisco manage millions of connected devices spanning manufacturing, utilities, transportation, public sector, retail and healthcare industries as well as public safety on FirstNet, built through AT&T’s 4G LTE and low-power IoT cellular networks.

AT&T Control Center powered by Cisco gives businesses near real-time visibility of all the IoT devices on their network and helps mitigate security risks, identifies anomalies in data usage and optimises traffic classification reporting.

Adding the capabilities of AT&T’s nationwide sub-6GHz 5G network enables enterprises such as manufacturing, automotive and entertainment to begin to take advantage of the higher bandwidth and lower latency available to more than 251 million people across the country. For example, owners of 5G-capable connected vehicles will be able to experience faster speeds for downloading, streaming and sharing music, video, software updates, navigation and mapping while on-the-go.

Mobile personal emergency response device providers and users can have an improved sense of independence and security with faster response times provided via 5G. Manufacturers can take advantage of 5G’s-low latency speeds to use camera technology to monitor and identify product defects in near real time on the assembly line to reduce waste.

Adding 5G also opens the door to massive IoT connectivity that will create opportunities to transform retail, make autonomous vehicles and smart factories a reality, and revolutionise healthcare.

“5G will empower businesses across all industries to digitise faster and reshape business models,” said Masum Mir, vice president at Cisco. “Together with AT&T we are marking a milestone for AT&T Control Center customers to harness the power of 5G to connect industrial and business-critical devices for ultimate IoT visibility.”

William Stovall, vice president at AT&T, added: “Working with Cisco, we continue to help businesses deploy IoT devices and applications faster and more securely and get more value out of devices they use. This is an important first step towards the IoT massive connectivity that will eventually create opportunities for enterprises to realise the full potential of IoT.”