It's Not Just You: 5G Is a Big Letdown

 

"What a weekend! After a 5G-powered robot performed surgery on my foot, I took a 5G-powered self-driving car to my 5G-powered house where a 5G-powered drone delivered a guacamole-powered burrito.

None of that happened, of course. But you know what did happen this past weekend? I turned off Verizon 5G on my iPhone -- and barely noticed a difference. The 4G LTE performance and coverage felt just about the same.

Three years since the U.S. cellular carriers lit up their next-generation networks and promised to change the game, the game hasn't changed. And if you're among the millions of Americans who recently upgraded, you probably already know that. In 2022, 61% of U.S. cellular customers accessed 5G networks, according to Global Wireless Solutions, a network testing and research company.

Verizon says it's got the "5G America's been waiting for." AT&T promised to "transform the future." T-Mobile had Miley Cyrus belt out, "Faster speeds nationwiiiiiide!" Yet those tiny 5G indicators on our phones haven't brought most of us much -- except maybe a higher bill or a faster-draining battery.

That's because, unlike the 4G that brought Uber, streaming Netflix and more, 5G's killer app isn't even for smartphones. It will more likely foster emerging technologies.

No need to cry into your 15-page monthly bill, however. Once you understand exactly what kind of 5G you're getting on your phone and the potential limitations of it, you can at least make better choices about your carrier and plan.

What's here

Lesson No. 1 in my "5G for Dummies" class? There's more than one 5G. There are three main flavors:

-- Low-band 5G (aka Status Quo):

The speeds and coverage are similar to or slightly better than 4G. AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile all have this type, which is why 5G can often feel like 4G LTE. Regardless of your cellular carrier or plan, the phone's indicator will read "5G" when you're on this type of network.

-- Midband 5G (aka Sweet Spot): Midband offers greater speeds while covering relatively large distances and working well indoors and out. T-Mobile's got a lot of this, which is why the company has led industry speed and coverage tests. Ookla most recently named it the fastest mobile operator in the U.S., with a median download speed of about 116 megabits per second. Verizon and AT&T's midband offerings are more limited right now but are expected to expand this year.

If you're on this type of network on T-Mobile, your indicator will read "5GUC" for 5G Ultra Capacity. On Verizon, your indicator will read "5GUW" for Ultra Wideband. On AT&T it will read "5G+."

-- High-band 5G (aka Smokin' Fast): Using higher "millimeter-wave" frequencies, this provides the fastest speeds at close range. You need to be near a tower, and the signal has trouble penetrating walls. Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile offer this shorter-range service in select cities and often in bigger arenas, stadiums or airports.

Unfortunately, there's no indicator to tell you the difference between midband and high-band. To check your speed, try an app like Ookla's Speedtest. (Just be sure to turn off Wi-Fi.)

So isn't that the superfast 5G we were promised? Kinda. It can be way faster than your home Wi-Fi, but you often need to be outdoors and close to the cell tower to get the top speeds. Even then, it doesn't significantly improve your phone's performance.

On Verizon's Ultra Wideband network, I got 500 Mbps down. But I didn't notice a difference when streaming Netflix, watching TikTok, loading websites or sending messages. You don't need a fire hose to extinguish a candle.

Where you might see a difference is during commuting hours and other times of heavy congestion, Chetan Sharma, a telecom-industry analyst, told me. A Verizon spokesman said that 5G's higher data capacity helps at concerts, sporting events and other crowded areas where everyone is trying to download or upload photos or videos.

Where 5G has actually made a difference is in "fixed wireless" or home-based connections. Verizon and T-Mobile offer 5G Home internet in select areas.

What you can do now

No, 5G isn't likely to change your life, but you can still get the most out of it, especially if you're paying more to access it.

-- Check your carrier's 5G plans. Getting a 5G phone is just half the battle. You also need a wireless plan and a compatible SIM card. For instance, my editor told me, after upgrading his family to unlimited 5G, he wasn't seeing "5GUW" on his iPhone 13 Pro. He was on Verizon's "5G Start" plan, which doesn't include the faster bandwidth. He switched his line to "5G Do More" -- and had to pay more, an extra $10 a month. "5GUW" instantly appeared.

If you have upgraded and still don't see the higher-speed networks, visit a carrier store to troubleshoot.

-- Try another carrier. One carrier might have better 5G coverage in an area than another, so check the coverage maps.

If you have an unlocked iPhone or Android phone with an embedded SIM, Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T (via its Cricket Wireless prepaid subsidiary) offer noncustomers free trials on their 5G networks. I was able to sign up for three months of T-Mobile on my iPhone 14 Pro. Now I can easily switch between my main Verizon account and the T-Mobile test account. I'll see how the experience goes for the next few months and then make a decision.

-- Use Wi-Fi. Don't forget about Wi-Fi. T-Mobile says that people who switch to 5G use twice as much data on social-media apps and stream twice as much video. I wonder how much of that is people just forgetting to get back on a home network.

What's coming

OK, but what about my 5G flying-burrito future? That can't all be a lie, right?

This next-generation network technology should bring lower latency, the time it takes for data to travel from one point to another. That's important for drones, self-driving cars and other devices that aren't your phone. You don't want the human surgeon in New York controlling the robot surgeon in Los Angeles on anything but a near-instant connection, right?

Razer's new Edge 5G hand-held cloud-gaming console, available this month, uses Verizon's Ultra Wideband to reduce lag. Lower latency will eventually be the key for better graphics (and less seasickness) in virtual and augmented reality, too. Still, when's the last time you saw someone in a VR headset outside of their house or office? Or in a VR headset period?

When the future does get here, I'm taking my 5G-powered private jet to my 5G-powered private island to get my 5G-powered robot massage." [1]

1. It's Not Just You: 5G Is a Big Letdown
Stern, Joanna.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]. 12 Jan 2023: A.9.