AT&T will start to turn on its 5G service in 12 cities by the end of 2018. But for AT&T chief technology officer Andre Fuetsch, the most unique aspect of 5G is not the blazing speeds that most telco giants reference.  "What's really going to differentiate 5G isn't so much about ... data buckets and speed but experience and engagement." Fuetsch told Business Insider. 

AT&T predicts nearly all content on its network will be video related in 5 years

Among the "Big 4" wireless giants, no two carriers are alike in the way that they see 5G driving their future. Verizon has touted its ability to bring 5G to the nation first while T-Mobile see its future 5G capabilities as a fixed broadband disrupter. AT&T sees 5G as an opportunity to offer entirely new experiences to customers, controlling every aspect of the supply chain from content creation to distribution. And the growing dominance of video consumption over its network is one of the main reasons for its $85 billion M&A play for Time Warner.