Home 5G Wireless Internet What Is 5G? How Fast Is It? 5G Coverage 5G Buzz ≡

► 5G Wireless:

This is the near future of Wireless Internet. 5G Wireless will connect your computer or smartphone to a neighborhood cell site, or a network of cell sites used in a mobile environment. 5G Wireless has the potential of having the fastest online performance in a given area. Remember, in order to receive 5G Wireless service, you need to have a 5G Wireless-capable device.  And any device from one carrier most likely will not be compatible with those of other carriers.  

► Fixed Wireless:

Fixed Wireless is already being used today for high-speed Internet access, and it's the most common method of 5G wireless access in the near future. Fixed Wireless currently includes a separate antenna that is professionally mounted on or near the exterior of your home or business to provide a strong signal for better connectivity. Fixed Wireless is primarily available today in areas where other high-speed Internet connections are not offered. Fixed Wireless may be offered by a number of independent ISP's in several parts of the country and is expanding nationally by AT&T. With 5G, Fixed Wireless will become more common, some with self-installing simplicity.


► Wireless Modem:

This can be an external box or a small USB adapter that plugs in to your desktop computer or laptop. These plug-in devices can be moved among equipment and locations. Carriers and re-sellers offer special plans for these adapters, often with Unlimited broadband usage, today at 4G LTE speeds.  In the near future, similar modems will be available to connect to a nearby 5G wireless site.

► Wireless Home Phone w/Internet:

A single box connects your home phones and online devices to a nearby wireless site.   Connection to your computer and other devices is made through cables or Wi-Fi.  To upgrade to a 5G connection will require new equipment on your end, but for now, you can easily get 4G - LTE speeds.


► The Wireless Hotspot:

You can buy a small box from the wireless carriers or secondary sources that accesses a cellular network and re-distributes the Internet through a Wi-Fi connection to several devices. Models available today may or may not be capable of 4G - LTE speeds, and 5G downloads will require new equipment on your end.

How Fast is 5G Wireless Internet?
Qualcomm, developer of new 5G Wireless chips, recently tested their performance on actual cellular networks. The results showed browsing speeds of 71 Mbps for the median 4G-LTE user, improving to 1.4 Gbps for the median 5G user, with response times roughly 23 times faster.  This is using 28 GHz spectrum using the addition of 4 License Assisted Access (LAA) bands.  In the lab, 5G has been tested as high as 20Gbps.

Real world experience using far less optimized frequency bands will limit performance to somewhat slower speeds, with 4G-LTE downloads expected at around 50 Mbps, with 5G performance up to 10 times that, at 500 Mbps. Most Fixed Wireless providers will guarantee a minimum speed, like 10 Mbps. Rural customers and users living in areas where wired services have not yet been upgraded stand to have substantial improvements with 5G Wireless.

---

Where and When Can I Get 5G Wireless?
5G Wireless is now available in a limited number of cities and in limited locations within those cities. Verizon Wireless currently offers 5G Wireless in several markets with a maximum download speed of 300Mb.  AT&T has introduced its own brand of 5G Wireless in several different markets, with various levels of downloads with the promise that it will "evolve" into full-speed 5G.  C Spire Wireless, the 6th largest cellular carrier in the US, offers 5G Wireless in southern Mississippi.

All of the major wireless carriers are working quickly to offer 5G Wireless in several additional markets, expected to be available this year.  Each carrier has chosen Several Select Cities to roll out their specific flavor of 5G Wireless, and manufacturers have created chips and equipment capable of accessing the 5G signal.

When will it come to your neighborhood?  We expect 5G Wireless to expand as quickly as technically possible, but there are many physical Factors Preventing 5G from Expanding as quickly as 4G - LTE. Many carriers have proposed a "Fixed Wireless" connection to 5G which may require a number of new cell sites, the installation of which has been bogged down from restrictions by local governments. You can expect 5G availability much sooner in locations where local officials have expedited these new installations.