As part of 5G Evolution strategy, AT&T continues to evolve it's LTE network and has announced  117 new markets which will have theoretical peak speeds of up to 400 megabits per second for capable devices using  LTE Advanced features like 256 QAM, 4x4 MIMO, and 3-way carrier aggregation. 

Alcatel-Lucent has announced the results of an independent research study which found that its commercially deployed Voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) technology provides better service than 3G Circuit Switched (CS) voice and Internet calling services and Skype software.

T-Mobile and Ericsson have signed a multi-year, $3.5 billion contract to support T-Mobile’s nationwide 5G network deployment. Under the deal, Ericsson will provide T-Mobile with the latest 5G New Radio (NR) hardware and software compliant with 3GPP standards.

Germany’s E-Plus Group and  Orange Communications in Switzerland  have selected Nokia Siemens Networks for LTE network deployments. In addition to LTE rollout in 1800 MHz band, the company will also modernize and expand the E-Plus GSM and HSPA+ networks.

AT&T has signed an agreement with Grupo Salinas to acquire Mexican wireless company Iusacell for US$2.5 billion, inclusive of Iusacell debt.

SK Telecom and Nokia have announced joint development of “Mission-Critical Push-To-Talk (MCPTT) solution, which is a next-generation push-to-talk communications technology over VoLTE, and demonstrated the solution at Nokia's Research and Development Center in Kraków, Poland.

Ericsson, SK Telecom (SKT) and Qualcomm have successfully established a 5G NR data call on mid-band over SKT’s live, 5G commercial network in Busan, South Korea. SK Telecom plans to launch 5G commercial services with 5G smartphones, built on the collaborative work with Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies, in the first half of 2019.