It’s easy to find a 5G signal in the USA, but what 5G service can you depend on? OpenSignal might help. The OpenSignal wireless guru platform has shared a study outlining 5G availability in five major US urban areas, and it’s clear that real-world coverage is better for some carriers than others.
Of the major three cellular networks, T-Mobile offered the most consistent 5G availability in the Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington, DC areas between mid-July and mid-October 2020.
When speed matters, Verizon’s mmWave service was consistently the fastest, with overall speeds ranging from 49.2Mbps in the Washington area to 72.7Mbps in Houston. AT&T and T-Mobile, but were generally slower with data transfers averaging around 38.3Mbps and 48.5Mbps.
The results reflect what many have suspected. T-Mobile’s focus on lower-frequency 5G gives it an edge in availability — you can find coverage in more areas, and you’re more likely to hold on to a signal indoors. Verizon only had mmWave 5G coverage during the study period, so you had to be extremely close to a cell tower or antennas.
