5G stands for the fifth generation of the internet. It’s been around a couple years now, since 2018. Ever since the creation of 5G, large tech companies have really pushed for products that support the latest generation of internet. 5G promises to bring faster connection speeds and better internet overall.1 If you’re wondering what is 5G and how does it work? You’ve come to the right place. We’ll chat about the basics of 5G and help you understand what it really is and what it does. The higher frequency makes 5G faster, more reliable, and it works with less latency (the delay between a request and the action being performed). The goal of 5G is to make your connection on your phone so incredibly fast, it’s almost like you’re connected to the internet at home. 5G can also be connected to more devices than 4G LTE networks. When it comes to response time, 5G can download files 2x faster than 4G can. Most 4G signals travel at 20 to 160 MHz (megahertz). 5G signals, on the other hand, can range from 100 to 800 MHz. This allows the signal to be stronger, plus high frequencies travel faster, giving 5G much higher speeds than 4G. As more and more devices come out with 5G, it’s bound to become the norm. Pretty soon, tech companies will stop making devices that support 4G altogether. As so many people are still working from home, technology continues to grow at exponential rates. That being said, even though 5G has been around a couple years, 4G isn’t going anywhere. Plenty of cities and devices still operate using 4G. 5G promises to bring faster connection speeds and better internet. With 5G, you’ll get an immersive, crisp picture when you watch a football game. AT&T says you’ll feel like you’re in the stadium or arena. If we can’t afford two Super Bowl tickets at $12,000 total (gasp), then we guess this is the next best option. Your daily Zoom calls will have less lag and are less likely to freeze your face in the middle of an important meeting. If you can’t go to a concert, 5G makes it possible to give you a live 3D augmented reality experience. Doctors can also collect data rapidly to make quicker decisions for patients because of the speedy 5G network. And we’re just scratching the surface here. To get all of this amazingness, you’ll need a 5G-enabled device to access 5G. For example, most of the latest smartphones—like the iPhone 12–13 and Samsung Galaxy S21—are compatible with the ultrafast 5G network. You can also get 5G with newer laptop models, home devices, and other new gadgets. These providers offer 5G in at least 85% of the US (but that will most likely increase in the near future). Find out if 5G is available near you with these 5G availability maps:
T-Mobile/Sprint’s availability map AT&T’s availability map Verizon’s availability map
How soon will 5G be widely available? Before you buy a new 5G smartphone, we recommend that you double-check with your provider if you’re in an area that supports 5G. As of now, AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile all provide 5G internet connections. If you have a 5G-compatible phone, and live in an area with 5G coverage from your carrier, your phone will automatically connect to the 5G network. Because of its capacity to serve more users most efficiently at a lower cost, wifi will probably continue to be the go-to choice for home and business services; however, 5G’s longer range and increased speeds indicate there’s a good chance 5G will become the favored network for mobile devices and smart technology.4
