AT&T turned on its mobile 5G network and it will start selling its first hotspot. But there's some confusion going around about the speeds of this network, which I'm hoping to clear up.

AT&T has been blurring the lines between its existing 4G LTE network—which it calls "5G Evolution"—and the new millimeter-wave 5G NR network. Let's draw them a little more clearly.

A quick glossary: 4G LTE is the existing radio that's in your smartphone. 5G NR is a new radio system (NR actually stands for "new radio") that's not compatible and needs new equipment. "5G Evolution" is AT&T pointing out that LTE and NR are so mixed up right now, and so dependent on each other, that they may all appear to be one big 5G soup.