AT&T Hopes for 'Iconic' 5G Phone This Year, Sees Uncertainty From COVID-19

AT&T is still working through what the COVID-19 pandemic will mean for its business and network, Jeff McElfresh, CEO of AT&T Communications, said at a Bank of America virtual conference Tuesday. Questions remain whether an iconic phone will emerge this year “that brings with it the true 5G new radio capabilities” and how much consumers will be willing to pay, he said. “It’s to be seen … but we’re planning for it and we will be there to compete,” McElfresh said. AT&T is unlikely to reopen all of its company stores closed as a result of the virus, he said. “At a high level, it’s too early for anybody to predict what the recovery is going to look like,” he said: “Our network performed incredibly well. The demand for products and services, such as broadband connectivity and wireless, really flourished.” What’s happening varies across the U.S., he said. “We’ve got different gradations of recoveries or shelter-in-place rules and regulations.” AT&T is having more business traffic in areas that reopened than in those that remain closed, which is “common sense,” McElfresh said. Companies learned a lot about how employees can work from home and stay productive, he noted. AT&T is evaluating “all options that might be available” to get more mid-band spectrum, especially the C band, he said, “There’s no other spectrum that’s available with that kind of bandwidth,” he said of the C band. “The big question is will it be unencumbered and can it be put to use in an orderly fashion” and on an acceptable timeline, he said.