AT&T took a step towards the convergence of its 5G and fibre broadband services for businesses with a new gateway which automatically switches customers to wireless in the event of an outage.

The operator stated the gateway seamlessly switches between the two connectivity options without any action required by customers. It reverts to fibre when the service is restored.

AT&T noted mobility backup “is cost-effective compared to potential downtime costs and eliminates the need for additional IT support”.

A representative told Mobile World Live (MWL) it is not disclosing the gateway manufacturer.

The service is currently available at no extra cost to select new AT&T Business Fibre customers who order speeds of 1Gb/s or higher across the states of Arkansas, California, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada, Oklahoma and Texas.

AT&T plans to make the gateway more widely available early in 2025.

The representative said the gateway offers 5G data rates of 25Mb/s to 300Mb/s: tariffs start at $160 per month plus taxes and fees.

It also functions as a Wi-Fi 6E router. 

The representative told MWL AT&T is conducting a consumer trial of the converged gateway in the city of Dallas, Texas.

Mike Troiano, SVP of business products at AT&T Business, stated the “first-ever integrated device marks a transformative step in defining the future of connectivity”.

AT&T made significant investments in fibre and mobile network services. CEO John Stankey is a bullish proponent of the convergence of mobile and fibre-based services.