THERE’S been a buzzword in cell phone speeds: 5G. Just what is meant by 5G? Our Asian Journal crew of Roger Oriel, Victor Sy, and Byron Sy found out some valuable data at the latest Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas early this month.
There are Three Different Versions of 5G with Varying Degrees of Speed:
• Low-band 5G: About 20% faster than your current 4G LTE.
• Mid-band 5G: About 6x faster than LTE.
• High-band 5G: About 10x faster than LTE.
Just How Fast is 5G?
The current LTE (Long-term Evolution) bars that you see in your smart phone allows you to download a movie in about 10 to 20 minutes. High-band 5G can do that in about 30 to 60 seconds depending on how far you are from a signal tower. For now, carriers are starting their 5G high-band millimeter wave in public spaces like stadiums, downtowns, and other crowded areas. We personal consumers have to wait a little longer.
What is State of U.S. Carriers?
AT&T has a low-band network in 20 markets for consumers and faster high-band networks in 35 commercial markets. It doesn’t sell devices that support both networks yet. T-Mobile has the same progress. Samsung’s Galaxy Note 10+ 5G supports the low-band network. AT&T 5GE is modernizing its existing 4G LTE network while it constructs real 5G. Verizon has high-band 5G live in 34 markets. Verizon will charge an additional $10 per month to use 5G. I don’t know what the other carriers will charge.
What is the Overall State of 5G?
5G is a mess with a variety of low to high band cocktails but this will change when Apple and Samsung introduce iPhone and Galaxy phones that support all levels of 5G toward the end of 2020.
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Victor Santos Sy graduated Cum Laude from UE with a BBA and from Indiana State University with an MBA. Vic worked with SyCip, Gorres, Velayo (SGV – Andersen Consulting) and Ernst & Young before establishing Sy Accountancy Corporation.
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He retired after 50 years of defending taxpayers audited by the IRS, EDD, BOE and other governmental agencies. He published a book on “How to Avoid or Survive IRS Audits.” Readers may email tax questions to [email protected].