AT&T today announced the launch of its first “5G Evolution” compatible mobile hotspot router. It’s a Netgear device that’s compatible with the carrier’s 5G Evolution network. The Netgear Nighthawk mobile hotspot router is going to be available exclusively from AT&T for a limited time. Don’t be fooled by the name, AT&T hasn’t flipped the switch on a proper 5G network.
AT&T announced the launch of its 5G Evolution network a few months back. As previously mentioned, it’s not the next-generation network that we’ve all been waiting for. 5G Evolution is just a new suite of 4G LTE features that AT&T is calling “5G Evolution.”
Precisely what are the features that AT&T launched, you ask? They include advanced carrier aggregation, 4×4 MIMO, and 256 QAM. You could already found the very same features on carriers like T-Mobile long before AT&T made its announcement.
Nevertheless, the Netgear Nighthawk mobile hotspot router is the first of its kind to be compatible with 5G Evolution on AT&T. Users can connect up to 20 Wi-Fi devices and it’s promised that the 5,040mAh battery will be good enough for 24 hours of battery life.
The JumpBoost functionality can also be used to charge smartphones and small portable USB devices via the hotspot when no electrical outlet is available.
The Netgear Nighthawk mobile hotspot router is priced at $49.99 for a limited time, when purchased with a two-year contract on AT&T. The carrier is going to start selling it tomorrow.