Startup Talk: AT&T joins Verizon with announcement of 5G network roadmap, speeds 100x faster

Editor’s note: Each Thursday, Talk Business & Politics provides “Startup Talk,” a round-up of startup, technology and entrepreneurial news.

AT&T JOINS VERIZON WITH ANNOUNCEMENT OF 5G NETWORK ROADMAP, SPEEDS 100X FASTER: Six months after Verizon announced plans to accelerate its 5G technology by beginning technology field trials in 2016, AT&T this week announced that it is s unveiling its 5G roadmap to bring customers the next-generation of super-fast, flexible wireless connectivity. The Dallas-based wireless giant said it plans to collaborate with Ericsson and Intel to work on 5G solutions in the second quarter of this year, with outdoor tests and trials over the summer. The trials will help guide the company’s 5G standards contributions, and set the stage for widespread commercial and mobile availability once technology standards for 5G are established, officials said.

Verizon – along with Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco, Ericsson, Nokia, Qualcomm and Samsung – announced its 5G roadmap at the inaugural Verizon 5G Technology Forum in August 2015. Verizon said 5G network environments, or “sandboxes,” were being created in Verizon’s Waltham, Mass., and San Francisco Innovation Centers. Both wireless giants have touted that they expect 5G technology to deliver speeds 10-100 times faster than today’s average 4G LTE connections.

EIGHTY-SIX PERCENT OF U.S. HOUSEHOLDS OWN SMARTPHONES: Dallas-based marketing research firm Parks Associates has released new mobile research showing 86% of U.S. broadband households now own a smartphone. The smartphone markets in European nations, like in the U.S., have become mature and highly competitive. Among broadband households in Western Europe, 76% in the U.K., 82% in Germany, 78% in France, and 90% in Spain own a smartphone.

SBA EXPANDS EMERGING LEADERS INITIATIVE TO HELP ENTREPRENEURS, SMALL-GROWTH COMPANIES: The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Emerging Leaders executive-level training series recently announced it is launching in 51 cities and communities across the country this year. The Emerging Leaders training focuses on small, poised-for-growth companies with potential for job creation.

The seven-month intensive, executive entrepreneurship education series includes approximately 100 hours of classroom time per participant and provides the opportunity for small business owners to work with experienced mentors, attend workshops and develop connections with their peers, city leaders and financial communities. Local recruitment for the 2016 training cycle is underway at selected SBA district offices, and classes are scheduled to begin in April. Information on how interested small business owners can apply and eligibility criteria can be found here.