For years , 5 G roving networking has been the gilt goose egg that many mobile machine manufacturers and carriers have been strive for . And now more than ever , that pipe dream is very much a reality . 5 G connectivity can be found on everythingfrom iPhones to Android computer hardware , and even some third - political party Mobile River devices . But is there really that bighearted of a differencebetween 5 G and 4G / LTE?The simple answer is yes , but nothing ’s ever just black and clean , peculiarly when we ’re talking about consumer tech .
Not to worry though : We ’ve been researching and solve with 5 G machine for a long time here at Digital Trends . To aid you through the weeds on the subject , we ’ve put together this 5 G guide to give you all the mobile know - how you ’ll need .
What is 5G?
Simply put , 5 gravitational constant is the 5th generation of mobile networking that is slowly replacing4G / LTEnetworks . And 5 G offers the potential for dramatically dissolute download and upload speeds than 4 G networks , plus considerably lower latency — the time it takes devices to communicate with wireless networks .
Also , 5 G internet are inherently more effective , handling more association per tower and at faster speeds per equipment . It is also project to work across a broad range of radio oftenness ( aka spectrum ) , opening up unexampled possibilities in themidrangeandextremely high frequency ( EHF ) mmWave ( millimeter - wave ) bandsfor flattop to expand their web offerings . Because 5 G is an entirely new technology that operates on new frequencies and organization , 4G - only phones are incompatible with the new 5 G networks .
The first 5 G mesh get deployment in 2019,but the groundwork for the next - generation mesh was lay years earlier . The 5 G received architecture was create in 2016 , at which degree every company and individual demand from both the internet and consumer side of meat could start make devices that were compliant with the raw 5 grand standard .
At this point , 5 G has n’t hit total market saturation quite yet — but it ’s have confining . It takes a considerable amount of investment to build an entirely new net . For example , 4G / LTE lead about three old age to reach mainstream status follow its initial 2010 deployment in the U.S. However , 4G / LTE did n’t have to ache through the same arise pains as the newer 5 G engineering since it was easier to deploy by comparison . All major U.S. carrier used the same basic 4G / LTE technology .
With 5 gramme , carriers have had to take unique approach in working around existing 4G / LTE deployments while also operate to acquire licenses for the high frequencies that are necessary to deliver on the biggest promise of 5 G : ultrafast Gbit speeding . That ’s take more fourth dimension , and there have been a few roadblocks along the way .
It will likely still be a twelvemonth or two before 5 G becomes the dominant connection worldwide , but we ’re in spades start closelipped , especially in the U.S. T - Mobile already vaunt thatits quickest 5 M coverageis available to330 million peopleas of October 2024 . While T - Mobile had a big head start over its rivals , the other companies are catching up cursorily . Back in February , Verizon announced it hadsurpassed the 280 million mark . AT&T also claims to serveover 310 million usersnationwide .
expert at 5 G America recently also account in their joint report with Omdia that the globose count of 5 G connection had crossed 2.25 billion — roughly a third of the global cellular connections . While 4 one thousand remains to be the dominant web worldwide , 5 GB is growing at arate four times faster than 4Ggrew in its earlier ears , as per the write up .
Those numbers also only refer to the carriers ’ enhance 5 G meshing . depend on the carrier , standardlow - band 5Galready reaches 85 % to 95 % of the U.S. population . While these lower - band frequence do n’t deliver the same telling speeds , they offer other benefit — and the power to replace 4G / LTE .
How does 5G network technology work?
Like 4 G , 5 G engineering operates on a encompassing cooking stove of radio spectrum allotments , but is open of running on awiderrange than current networks . With 5 G , there are three discrete frequency swan that act in different way . The most common form of 5 universal gravitational constant has traditionally been referred to as Sub-6 , but that ’s more recently been carve up into two subcategories . Beyond that ismmWave , which operates on significantly higher frequency — with some important trade-off .
Sub-6 (Low-Band)
Short for Sub-6GHz , the term Sub-6 technically includes all 5 G frequencies that operate below that 6GHz doorstep . However , in the early days of 5 gramme , that was almost wholly made up oflow - dance orchestra frequenciesbelow 2GHz — the same spectrum that had been used for year by 2 G , 3 G , and 4G / LTE mesh .
Most carriers start their 5 G deployment using these oftenness as it was the well-heeled and most low-cost way to start ; 5 gravitational constant ironware could share the same towboat and airwaves used by 4G / LTE service , and since low - band frequencies trip much farther and more effortlessly penetrate wall , trees , and other obstacle , mail carrier also did n’t have to put up a immense number of raw towers to blanket areas with 5 G coverage .
However , there was a downside to using this humble - band spectrum : 5 G public presentation was n’t significantly faster than the 4G / LTE services that fall before . In fact , it could actually be slower in some typeface , as 5 G dealings had to grant the digital right hand - of - way of life to elder 4G / LTE signals using the same frequencies .
mmWave
At the other end of the 5 G spectrum ismillimeter wafture , a swath of EHF spectrum where 5 G currently operates at frequency between 24GHz and 39GHz , although it ’s likely to boom even higher in the time to come . As the name suggests , these frequencies have a very short wavelength , which signify they do n’t travel very far at all — a couple of city blocks at well .
The upside is that 5 G can deliver staggering performance over mmWave — easily reaching 4Gbps download amphetamine under idealistic condition . More significantly , this high electrical capacity also countenance for better coveragein thickly pack areas like stadium , concert venue , and airports .
However , to blanket an arena with this implausibly fast coverage requires thousands of small meshing cells — covering 95 % of New York City would command near 60,000 single mmWave towers . This is why Verizon ’s early 5 G coverage , which relied solely on mmWave , was available only in the business district cores of a few major city .
Midband or C-band
To deliver on the promise of 5 gibibyte , carriers and regulator demand to find a well-chosen medium between the ultrafast but passing short - range mmWave and the lower - isthmus frequencies that offer expansive range but no meaningful betterment in speed over the 4G / LTE mesh that 5 gravitational constant is supposed to replace .
The reply was foundin a ( mostly ) new range of midband frequency , ranging from T - Mobile ’s 2.5GHz electronic connection to the 3.7GHz to 3.98GHz C - band spectrum license by Verizon and AT&T. This spectrum has become the sweet spot for 5 g-force , offer considerably good range than mmWave while deliver close - Gb carrying out levels that entrust 4G / LTE networks in the dust .
Today , the major U.S. carriers have deployed 5 G in all three of these spectrums , although they ’ve taken slightly different approaches . Verizon began with mmWave in a handful of cities before set in motion its nationwide low - dance orchestra 5 GiB web in tardy 2020 and then vagabond out its degree centigrade - lot oftenness in other 2022 . T - Mobile start out with a very low - band 600MHz mesh that allowed it to be first to offer across the nation 5 gigabyte in all 50 U.S. states , and then used the 2.5GHz midband spectrum it acquire from its 2020 merger with Sprint to get a point begin on build out its riotous 5 deoxyguanosine monophosphate meshing . It deploy faster mmWave only in places like stadium , where the high electrical capacity was absolutely necessary . AT&T has trailed slimly behind both its rivals ; it has a with child depleted - set 5 G connection , and like T - Mobile , it expend mmWave transceivers to cover up denser field , but its C - band deployment have only reached about a dozen cities so far .
How fast is 5G?
Clearly,5 G is faster than 4 1000 , but by how much ? The scant resolution is : “ it bet . ” The standards for telecommunication applied science , germinate by 3GPP , are reasonably complex . But here ’s a universal rundown ofthe speeds 5 thou is capable of reachingunder optimum conditions :
In the real public , actual 5 G speeds vary wide . finally , midband networkswill be able to deliver speed of multiple gigabits per second ( Gbps ) through technologies such asCarrier Aggregation . But for now , you may expect to see speeds of around 200Mbps to 400Mbps if you ’re on a midband / C - ring internet and under 100Mbps on low-spirited - band 5 G services . Those numbers may go higher under ideal condition — we ’ve measure gigabit speeds on cytosine - lot frequencies , but that ’s far from distinctive . commonly , you ’ll need to be relatively alone near a mmWave transceiver to get those kinds of swiftness . Remember that you ’re also sharing whatever bandwidth is usable with everyone else using that same tower , so your performance will drop during peak time of the day in a engaged area .
If you ’re onlow - stripe 5 G , you ’ll belike find that your connection is no firm than 4G / LTE . In some cases , it may even be slower . This is largely due to 4G / LTE traffic still using those absolute frequency . Early low-down - banding 5 GiB deployment were “ piggybacked ” onto 4G / LTE towers using a technology known as Dynamic Spectrum Sharing ( DSS ) . This allows 5 gee and 4G / LTE traffic to coexist on the same airwave , but since DSS is a 5 G feature , it ’s the 5 G traffic that has to make way for the 4G / LTE signals . The good news is that low - set 5 g-force performance will amend as more folks move to 5 universal gravitational constant smartphones , and there ’s less 4G / LTE traffic to contend with .
5G UW vs. 5G UC vs. 5GE
Since midband 5 G offers much near carrying out than the lower - band 5 G relative frequency , each flattop has worked hard to further these raise 5 G services with alone trade name name and special condition bar icons on your phone . This lets customers bonk when they ’re using the best 5 grand , while also set up them asunder from their rivals .
AT&T was actually the first to insert a peculiar 5 guanine marque , but unfortunately , that initial attempt just muddied the amniotic fluid as it did n’t even represent a real 5 G net . AT&T’sso - called 5 G Evolution ( 5GE ) networkwaslittle more than a merchandising stunt ; the immune carrier rebranded its freshly upgraded4G / LTE Advancednetwork , claiming it was the first stride in the “ organic evolution toward 5G. ” In world , it was the same 4G / LTE internet applied science that Verizon and T - Mobile already offered , incorrectly pronounce to make people think that AT&T had beaten the others to the poke at rolling out 5G.
After gettingrightfully pilloriedfor that pathetic move , AT&T got a bit more conservative with its 5 deoxyguanosine monophosphate plan . However , it was still the first to introduce a unique name in early 2020 to distinguish its mmWave service from its broader modest - band meshing . AT&T called this “ 5 G Plus ” ( 5G+ ) , and it was initially available in the downtown cores of about 35 cities . In former 2022,AT&T added its new atomic number 6 - band spectrum to the 5G+ meshing , increasing coverage in about a twelve U.S. cities over the course of that year .
Verizon follow in former 2020 with5 G Ultra Wideband(5 G UW ) . Unlike AT&T , this was a rebranding of what had been its entire 5 G internet up to that pointedness since Verizon began 5 G solely with mmWave . The 5 G UW name became necessary safter Verizon ’s chief operating officer took the chance to get on stage at Apple ’s iPhone 12 launch issue and announce the attack aircraft carrier ’s new5 G Nationwideservice — a scummy - band 5 gravitational constant meshwork that would bestow 5 G to the rest of the country . As with AT&T , Verizon expanded its 5 G Ultra Wideband armed service to cover the new C - band frequency in other 2022 , increase 5 G UW coverage to more than 100 million customers practically overnight .
Meanwhile , T - Mobile had been slowly building out a 2.5GHz midband web since it produce that spectrum from Sprint in 2020 . The “ Uncarrier ” already offered proficient content and speed than its rivals , whichhad to acquire new coke - banding spectrum from the Federal Communications Commission ( FCC ) and fight fears from the aviation manufacture . However , T - Mobile did n’t fully brand its midband mesh until 2021 , dub it5 G Ultra Capacity ( 5 G UC)to distinguish it from its low - stripe 5 G Extended Range web .
Where is 5G coverage available?
So , when should you anticipate to have5 G available in your neighborhood?If you live in a relatively populated area , at least one — and probably all — of the major flattop already put up 5G. T - Mobile , AT&T , and Verizon have all long since rolled out their “ nationwide ” networks using blue - banding 5G. Today these networks collectively comprehend over 90 % of the U.S. population .
All three major U.S. carriers are continuing to build out their midband 5 constant of gravitation connection , and while Verizon and T - Mobile now cover a majority of the U.S. population , it ’s probable to take several geezerhood before we reach omnipresent 5 thousand coverage . Each5 G carrieralso has a slightly different 5 G rollout strategy , so your experience will vary greatly depending on your carrier . Here are all the details we currently have concerning each carrier ’s deployment plans .
Verizon
Verizon ’s 5 G countrywide low - band web istechnicallysmaller than AT&T and T - Mobile ’s , as it launched much later . Verizon spend years building outmmWavebefore it set off work on its low - band 5 G Nationwide deployment , which only arrived in late 2020 . Since it set about with mmWave , Verizon propose a much great act of smaller mmWave cells , continue the downtown core of over 80 cities . That ’s still not enough to provide a meaningful , reliable , and widespread mmWave internet , but Verizon has expanded that significantly over the last twelvemonth with its novel ascorbic acid - band coverage . As of March 2023,Verizon ’s 5 g-force Ultra Wideband web contact 200 million citizenry . As the attack aircraft carrier continues to flourish to more rural areas , its smaller down - band web will become considerably less relevant .
Verizon 5 G reportage function
AT&T
AT&T has a far-flung broken - dance band 5 G web , with countrywide coverage of around 285 million people . However , the type of 5 G connectivity that you get depends on where you last . Like Verizon , it relied heavily onmmWavein the early Clarence Day , but it also saw the writing on the wall and transition to a lowly - band 5 G rollout much earlier . This means less mmWave reporting than Verizon — the core areas of about 39 cities — but a much more expansive low - ring internet . AT&T ’s 5G+ help began with this handful of mmWave cells , drift in the blow - band spectrum in other 2022 . Nevertheless , AT&T is still toy catch - up with its rivals , and so far , it ’s only deploy full C - band insurance coverage to about a dozen city , bringing the full number of cities where 5G+ is offered to around 50 .
AT&T 5 G reportage mathematical function
T-Mobile
T - Mobile 5 G has beenleaving its contender in the dustwith robust countrywide reportage and a midband 5 G internet that cover over 75 % of the U.S. population . This has allow T - Mobile to shoot a line the quick medial download speed by a Brobdingnagian gross profit since far more of its customer are able to access its 5 G Ultra Capacity internet . T - Mobile was also the first carrier to deploy a countrywide 5 G connection to all 50 states , although that initial mesh — now known as 5 gm Extended Range ( 5 G XR ) — relies on the lowest of the low - band absolute frequency , so it ’s not particularly fast . However , with 5 G Ultra Capacity already covering 260 million people , and T - Mobile promise to extend that to 300 million by the end of 2023 , most customers will rarely encounter the flattop ’s humiliated - band 5 G XR internet .
T - Mobile 5 G reportage map
Best 5G phones available now
It ’s bad to find a speech sound nowadays thatdoesn’thave 5 G , thanks to the carriers ’ strong-growing connection rollouts and growth of more affordable fluid chipsets that include 5 G radios . So when you ’re look for the good 5 gigabyte sound , you ’re really just asking forthe best sound overall .
Right now , that means theiPhone 16andiPhone 16 Pro , theSamsung Galaxy S25andS25 Ultra , theGoogle Pixel 9 and 9 Pro models , and less expensive phones fromOnePlusandMotorola . Each of these phones has 5 G — though in some cases , on the loud end , you may only get Sub-6 and notmmWave . However , that ’s nothing to worry about ; as we ’ve already mentioned , mmWave is more of a “ skillful to have ” than a requirement , and you ’re improbable to even take on a mmWave signal most of the prison term , much less ask one .
Can you use 5G for home internet?
With incredible speeds and low reaction time , 5 G has near potential as a surrogate for home wireless networks . That ’s particularly reliable in rural sphere , where tight wired internet is sturdy to come by , and the only other alternative is satellite internet . While the potentiality is certainly there,5 G home internetis taking a while to roll out in genuine phone number .
We ’re still a few years aside from the promise of 5 G to bring verbatim connectivity to every equipment in our home , so today ’s 5 G dwelling internet solvent , also hump as Fixed Wireless Access ( FWA ) , merely replace your wired broadband router with a 5 G equipment ; Wi - Fi and wired Ethernet connection are still used to connect everything up within your home .
Verizon 5G home internet
Verizon offers 5 G home net starting at $ 25 per month , and the late addition of hundred - band spectrum to its 5 G Ultra Wideband service meansit ’s now available in 1,700 cities . Sadly , this still define access to the serve in rural areas where it could be more helpful . Speeds will variegate depend on where you live ; Verizon has a lookup dick you could employ to get an estimate , but do n’t expect these to equal broadband help unless you be in an area withmmWavecoverage .
AT&T 5G home internet
AT&T does n’t yet extend 5 G domicile internet to consumers , although its 4G - based fixed wireless access code architectural plan are still usable for rural areas . This will likely get upgrade to 5 gee eventually , but there ’s not much point in doing so right now as AT&T ’s depressed - dance orchestra 5 constant of gravitation electronic web does n’t extend any carrying into action improvements , and its 5 gigabyte Plus ( 5G+ ) web does n’t strain enough places yet .
T-Mobile 5G home internet
Potential benefits of 5G
There aremany reasons to be frantic about 5Gbeyond nomadic communicating . While the extra bandwidth and lower latency mean libertine functioning for downloading , streaming , and gaming , the most promising part of 5 G is its power to deliver wireless connectivity to a much wide kitchen range of devices and applications . We ’re already seeingprivate 5 g-force networksthat arereplacing or supplementing traditional Wi - Fionuniversity campus , atresorts , and even inretail operations . The lower rotational latency , higher mental ability , and bully reach offered by 5 grand make it ideal for offering expansive “ always - on ” connectivity in areas where Wi - Fi wo n’t cut it .
Improved home broadband
While 5 G is commonly perceived as mobile engineering , it ’s also poised to have a substantial shock on place broadband and wireless connectivity . As remark in the preceding segment , mail carrier are now offering house internet service that rely on 5 G connection or else of cable or fiber . While it does n’t yet provide the velocity of fiber or cable , it ’s more than fair to middling for routine surfing , cyclosis , and browsing , and better than the pumped options available in many rural areas .
More significantly , 5 guanine connectivity could someday replace your home router entirely , with all of the equipment in your nursing home connecting direct to the 5 G meshing . There are security and performance matter that will need to be worked out before this hap , but work on it is already afoot .
Autonomous vehicles
The low-pitched latency of 5 G makes it idealistic for autonomous vehicles , allowingreal - meter communication with other vehicle on the road , up - to - the - second selective information about road stipulation , and operation feedback to number one wood and automakers . For instance , your vehicle can be informed straight off if another car brake quickly ahead of you and preemptively use your brakes as well , forestall a collision . This form of vehicle - to - vehicle communication could ultimately save lives and improve route efficiency .
Public safety and infrastructure
finally , 5 G will become the backbone ofthe smart city of the future , reserve municipality to operate more expeditiously . Utility companies will be able to easily tail utilisation remotely , sensors can notify public works departments when drains inundation orstreetlights go out , and municipalities will be able to cursorily and inexpensively install surveillance camera .
Remote device control
Since 5 G has unmistakably low latency , remote control of grave machinerywill become a reality . While the primary target is to reduce risk of infection in wild environment , it will also allow technician with specialised skill to see to it machinery from anywhere in the world .
Health care
IoT
One of the most exciting and crucial aspects of 5 G is its effect on the Internet of Things . While we presently have sensors that can communicate with each other , they run to require a lot of resource and are quickly eat up 4 G data content . With 5 G speeds and dramatically higher capacitance limits , the IoT will be powered by communication theory among sensing element and smart devices .
What do 5G towers look like?
You might be wondering where the 5 G towers in your township are locate . For the most part , 5 K towers look just like 4 G tug — largely because they are 4 gram towers . The nationwide coverage that T - Mobile , Verizon , and AT&T all offer now is make on slightly tweaked 4 G tugboat , so if you see a traditional cellular telephone tugboat and have 5 G coverage in your orbit , chance are that same tower also supports your area ’s 5 G net . The fact that they were able to reuse these 4 G cell towers is partly how all three carriers were able to twine out nationwide 5 G internet on such a poor timeline .
As carriers start to roll outmidbandandhigh - band(mmWave ) spectrum , however , this may transfer . As mention , mmWave frequencies ca n’t travel as far as the Sub-6 frequencies that nationwide connection trust on , and as such , to get mmWave reportage in a city , there must be 100 , or even thou , of small mobile phone around the city . These are modest white nodes that hang on the side of a construction or sometimes on their own little pole . Sometimes they ’ll be painted a different color to blend in with their environment , but ordinarily , they ’ll remain white .
More of these small cell towers and nodes are likely to pop up in urban center in the near future , although they ’ll likely be limit to heavily populated areas . However , most field are likely to rely on midband transceivers ; these may postulate new towers for better coverage , but they wo n’t look that different from the cellular towers you ’ve escort before . Rural areas are likely to continue using be 4 G towers with upgraded low - band 5 G equipment installed on them .
Is 5G safe?
Yes , 5 G is dependable — 5 one thousand isnotdangerousto your health . Concerns about the safety of radio waves have been around for years , but we have yet to find any evidence suggesting that they ’re really bad for human health despite the5 G conspiracy theories .
There are two kinds of radiocommunication wave : Ionizing , and non - ionizing . ionize waves — the types of radio waves that are used in radiotherapy and X - electron beam machines — can in spades be dangerous for human health . However , these undulation are typically measure in terahertz ( THz ) and petahertz ( PHz ) , where the infrared emission and ultraviolet range of mountains begin . That ’s an order of magnitude beyond even the top of the exceedingly high frequency 39GHz range used by mmWave 5G.
The radio wave used by 5 yard are not substantially different from those we ’ve already been living with for X , and almost all of them go on the same frequencies that have been long used for 2 grand , 3 G , 4 G , and even TV broadcast , weather radar , and aircraft communications . Even mellow - frequency mmWave signals share spectrum that ’s long been used for microwave tower , satellite communications , aerodrome security scanners , and weather and military radar systems — and mmWave manoeuver at well lower king levels than any of these other devices .
