The carrier will use Ericsson dual-band radios to deploy the EchoStar spectrum it acquired in July — and, for the first time, add eight-receiver uplink technology across its low-band network.
AT&T has selected Ericsson to supply 600 MHz dual-band radios that will let it deploy the low-band spectrum it bought from EchoStar, the two companies said this week. The radios will introduce uplink-enhancing 8RX — eight receive branches — to AT&T's low bands for the first time.
According to AT&T's announcement, Ericsson was chosen through an "open and competitive process." The radios are dual-band, supporting Band 14 — FirstNet's 700 MHz public safety spectrum — alongside the newly acquired Band 71 at 600 MHz, per Fierce Network's reporting. AT&T declined to say how many bidders it considered or how many radios it is buying.
The spectrum comes from AT&T's roughly $23 billion purchase of 600 MHz and 3.45 GHz licenses from EchoStar, which closed in late July. The 8RX move is aimed at upstream capacity: low-band FDD spectrum such as 600 MHz is usually served by four-receiver radios, and CEO John Stankey has tied the acquisition to building stronger uplink for AI and agentic traffic, SDxCentral reported.
- Who & what: Ericsson to supply 600 MHz dual-band (Band 14 / Band 71) radios for AT&T.
- First: AT&T's first use of 8RX uplink technology on low-band spectrum.
- Source spectrum: ~$23B EchoStar deal (600 MHz + 3.45 GHz), closed late July 2026.
- Timing: No deployment date given; AT&T previously said the rollout would take "a number of years."
Unlike the 3.45 GHz spectrum in the same deal — which AT&T lit across nearly 23,000 sites by remotely retuning software-defined radios already in the field — the 600 MHz band was not supported by AT&T's existing equipment, which is why new radios are needed. The carrier has not given a deployment timeline or commercial-availability date.
The work builds on AT&T's modernization program with Ericsson, a $14 billion five-year agreement struck in December 2023 that is now more than halfway complete, according to Light Reading. Under the FCC's approval of the EchoStar deal, AT&T faces 600 MHz buildout deadlines tougher than it had proposed.
NextGComm is verifying the specific FCC buildout milestones — reported as 40% population coverage within three years and 75% within five — against the text of FCC Order DA 26-470.
References
- AT&T. AT&T and Ericsson Enhance Wireless Capacity, Coverage, and Performance Nationwide (6 Aug 2026).about.att.com/story/2026/att-ericsson-enhance-wireless-nationwide.html
- Ericsson. AT&T and Ericsson enhance wireless capacity and performance nationwide.ericsson.com/en/press-releases/6/2026/att-and-ericsson-enhance-wireless-capacity-and-performance-nationwide
- FCC. Memorandum Opinion and Order, DA 26-470, WT Docket No. 25-303 (12 May 2026).docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-470A1.pdf