Who Has the Fastest, and Most 5G Coverage in America?

As 5G is constantly evolving, OpenSignal has released another report regarding the 5G experience across the United States. Per their report, “In this insight we quantify how the 5G experience has changed across the U.S. in the six months since our previous analysis. This benchmark will act as a reference point to evaluate the future impact of AT&T and Verizon’s C-band deployments on the national 5G mobile experience as it records the state of the 5G experience on the eve of the arrival of C-band.”

The evaluations were done during a 90-day period, which started on November 1, 2021 and ended on January 29, 2022. This was done across all 50 U.S. states and 300 cities. Among them, Illinois came out on top for download speeds. They had an overall average of 141.4 Mbps, which was just ahead of New York at 138.6 Mbps. In fact, 23 of the states saw averages over 100 Mbps. There were however a few that were under 60 Mbps. Take a look at the results below. 

With regards to improvement comparison since the last report, 44 states saw an increase of around 27 Mbps for the average download speed. There were 6 states that saw “no statistical change.”

OpenSignal also looked at the “5G Reach” and how it has improved in each state. The average improvement across the 47 U.S. states that saw their 5G Reach score increase was 17.1% (0.6 points). In this evaluation, all states saw improvement except for Hawaii, North Dakota, and Vermont. 

Next, they looked at “5G Availability.” This was increased in only 21 states.  “5G Availability represents the proportion of time that 5G users saw an active 5G connection on their smartphone,” states the report. 

OpenSignal also reports about the changes that have been made over the course of the past six months that have changed the 5G mobile experience. They see promising signs that U.S. carriers are either planning to or are currently addressing problems surrounding coverage and performance in small rural states. 

“For example, our 5G users in West Virginia and New Hampshire saw improvements across all three metrics analyzed — 5G Download Speed, 5G Availability and 5G Reach — meaning that they could access 5G networks in more locations, spend more time with an active 5G connection and also enjoy faster 5G download speeds than before,” says the report. “However, our 5G users in Vermont and North Dakota were the only ones out of the 50 states whose 5G mobile experience hasn’t changed statistically across any of the three measures analyzed, suggesting that 5G improvements are happening at a staggered pace across different locations.”

Lastly, 5G was reviewed across 300 U.S. cities. Specifically, they looked at Availability and Download Speeds. Check out the results below. 

Just like 6 months ago, six of the top 10 cities for 5G Availability belonged to Texas. Four of them – McAllen, Brownsville, San Antonio and Waco – also appeared in the previous top 10, while El Paso and Austin made it into the cut this time, replacing Houston and Corpus Christi. The remaining four cities in the top 10 were Chicago, Miami and Los Angeles — all of which were also shortlisted last time — as well as Trenton, New Jersey.

The average 5G download speed passed the 100 Mbps mark in 105 cities, up from 12 last time. Among these cities we found Washington (140.8 Mbps), San Antonio (136.2 Mbps), Los Angeles (134.4 Mbps), Seattle (131.6 Mbps), Phoenix (121.2 Mbps), Dallas (118.9 Mbps), San Diego (118.3 Mbps) and Indianapolis (113.8 Mbps).

By 5G , , , , ,

How is AT&T Helping to “Reimagine Health”

In a recent blog, VP of Healthcare Solutions at AT&T, Joe Drygas, talks about how 5G can help the healthcare industry evolve with new technologies. He compares what AT&T 5G does for healthcare with the theme of this year’s HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition – Reimagine Health. 

There’s many ways that 5G can “reimagine health.” 5G allows for things like smart hospitals, at home test systems, and therapies in virtual reality. These things can seriously change the way patients are treated both in hospitals and at home. 

“5G powers the use of smart technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT), to help improve patient care, streamline workflows, and automate processes,” says Drygas. “These technologies interconnect to enable hospitals to gather, interpret and respond to the data they collect. In short, they create a building with eyes and ears – a smart hospital.”

Drygas references a real world example in the Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine. This medical center is 80,000 square feet and is installed from top to bottom with smart technologies. 

“The Institute knew when it set out to design the state-of-the-art smart facility it would need a state-of-the-art network to power it,” describes Drygas. “An on-site, private, AT&T 5G network with multi-access edge computing (MEC) was the answer. The fast data speeds, low latency and high capacity provided by the 5G network, combined with cutting-edge technologies, is helping the Institute reimagine the connectivity within healthcare and enhance the patient experience within the clinic.”

For instance:

  • Wearable sensors enable the Institute to track how much interaction is taking place between patients and staff. This data in turn can help the Institute improve the care process and patient experience.
  • The smart facility is capable of providing anticipatory, personalized, high-touch patient care, like knowing what type of music to play and lighting to use during a patient’s appointment.
  • The dedicated bandwidth of the private 5G network makes it possible for the Institute to connect more devices wirelessly – from IoT equipment and sensors to handheld devices – without quality concerns. It also enables the transference of huge data files, such as 3D tumor imagery.
  • The private, on-site 5G network means the Institute is able to capture and analyze data faster and more securely and make decisions on the spot.

Another example of AT&T 5G in the healthcare industry is a smart telemonitoring solution called “Artsight.” Using computer vision technology and smart cameras in patient rooms provides doctors a remote method of treatment and care. 5G’s low-latency and high data speeds make this possible. AT&T will be demonstrating the 5G-fueled Artisight smart telemonitoring solution in their booth at HIMSS (#2659). You can also check out their video demo here. 

On the subject of the patient experience, Drygas says that 5G is already altering this in a dramatic way. “It’s elevating patient care by delivering better insights. But there’s more to come on the 5G front in healthcare, and we plan to lead the way. After all, enabling medical innovations is what our healthcare solutions team does best!”

By 5G , , , ,

What is the New Unlimited 5G Plan from AT&T

AT&T has announced a new unlimited data plan for 5G, called “Value Plus Plan,” which is rivaling its competitors’ offerings. In comparison, the plan sits at a cost of only $50 rather than $60 or $70 from T-Mobile and Verizon. That’s quite significant when you take into consideration the fees of just about everything being raised due to the pandemic. 

Be aware that the new “Value Plus Plan” isn’t advertised on the carrier’s website among its unlimited plans. Even though it includes unlimited talk, text, and data, look for it in the operator’s “other plans” category. The plan is also subject to being throttled during times of congestion, or what the provider lists as, “AT&T may temporarily slow data speeds if the network is busy.

While some analysts don’t expect a response from AT&T’s rivals, AT&T touted demand for the offering. “We have research that suggests an increase in market demand for access to a lower price point for unlimited postpaid, particularly for single lines and customers who prefer to bring their own devices,” explained an AT&T representative in response to questions from Light Reading on the new plan. “This new value plan is meant to serve those customers looking for a basic entry level unlimited plan.”

If you dig a little deeper into the cellular data plan options, you’ll actually find that there are lower cost alternatives, even to this new AT&T plan. That is because they’re not from the major carrier directly, but instead a MVNO – this stands for mobile virtual network operator. A MVNO is a wireless communications services provider that does not own the wireless network infrastructure over which it provides services to its customers. Essentially, these providers piggyback off the major carrier’s infrastructure to broadcast service to their customers, and they’re able to do so for a lower price.  

T-Mobile, for example, has “Metro By T-Mobile.” They offer prepaid unlimited 5G service for one line at $60 per month. Also, Verizon’s Visible brand offers unlimited 5G services for $40 per month for one line of service.

By 5G , , ,

How Does Peplink’s New InTouch Feature Work?

With Peplink’s new firmware version 8.2.0 comes a new feature that has been long awaited by many users, including our team. That feature is called “InTouch” and it allows folks to access IP based devices that sit behind their Peplink router. It works by leveraging SpeedFusion Cloud, which means you must have an active SpeedFusion Cloud connection. 

We wanted to test this out to see how well it works. Outlined below are instructions. In our example, we are accessing our Remote Power IP Switch, model UIS-622b. This device helps to monitor our router’s WAN connection as well as local devices on the network. If the Internet connection fails, or a device drops its connection to the network, a reset to the router or other device’s power is triggered. This usually resolves the connection issue. 

  1. Log into your InControl2 account at https://incontrol2.peplink.com
  2. Select the Organization, then Group of the router you want to access devices behind
  3. Click on the router device from the group to open the Device Details page
  4. Hover over the Settings tab and select InTouch
  1. From this page you’ll add devices you want to access. Click Add
  1. Enter a name for the device and its local IP address – you can obtain this from the cloud app or Cloud4UIS.com for your Switch OR you can typically find this from your router’s client list. 
  2. Click OK 
  1. Click Save Changes on the next screen
  1. Now that we’ve added our device, we can access it from the Device Details page or Group Overview page. 
  1. Shown here is the Device Details page. Note the new InTouch button. 
  1. We’ll click here to select the IP Switch we just added. 
  1. A new page will open and we’ll be connected to the web administration page of the IP Switch. 
By 5G , , , , , , , , ,

Why is AT&T Testing 5G Radios on Lamp Posts

Of all the possibilities with 5G, AT&T is now using it to help build out infrastructure in cities, with aesthetics in mind. They just announced last week that they have begun field testing 5G small cell radios that can hide on top of street lamp posts. The new radios were developed through a partnership between AT&T, mobile technology manufacturer Ericsson, and urban solutions provider Ubicquia.

“It is virtually unseen from street level,” wrote Gordon Mansfield, AT&T’s VP of mobility access & architecture, in a company blog post. Mansfield said that these new low- / mid-band 5G radios can be deployed within 15 minutes on street lamps. “No long wires and big, bulky boxes – a true aesthetic improvement,” Mansfield wrote. 

Keep in mind that these new small cell radios are not operating on the much faster mmWave antennas. Those have to be larger, as the signal does not carry very far, so that also makes them more visible. Since the new radios are powered by street lamps and connected to nearby fiber, it could reduce the need to install more standalone small cell towers in cities.

Street lights have become a perfect location to install many modern technologies across cities. They allow hardware to be positioned high up away from possible vandalism, plus they have their own existing power supply and access to other infrastructure. There’s also technology in place that helps detect outages so they can send crews when needed. 

While the project sounds great, it is still only in the testing phase. AT&T had begun using the small cells, which were being trialed by the company last year. “We are now in the process of field testing and deploying commercially available units in multiple cities,” Mansfield wrote.

By 5G ,

Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband Network to Cover 175 Million People By Year’s End

As of yesterday, Verizon announced that thanks to its network engineering team, it is ahead of schedule with its deployment of 5G Ultra Wideband technology. They plan on reaching 175 million people with their 10x faster (than LTE) 5G service by the end of the year.

The company noted their Investor Day 2022, during which the leadership team outlined its goals for the next several years. They aim to grow with the quickly evolving needs of the user.  

Of the topics outlined, each showed multiple paths to growth: 5G Mobility, Nationwide Broadband, Mobile Edge Compute (MEC) and business solutions, the Value Market and Network Monetization. 

They also stated expectations that it will “drive 4 percent service and other revenue growth for the company in 2024 and beyond.”

“Through our deliberate strategy of investment and divestment we have already significantly increased the size of our addressable market which, over the next 5 years, should grow an additional $120B. We chose a strategy where we not only participate in a much larger market but also a market where we are in the leading position in our paths to growth,” said Hans Vestberg, Verizon Chairman and CEO. “Verizon’s transformative technology and Network-as-a-Service platform is what enables the 5G Economy and makes us the partner of choice for key customers and applications providers. Our high-capacity, low-latency network delivers a superior, unmatched experience that will enable all of our stakeholders to live, work and play in new and amazing ways for years to come.”

Vestberg continued on saying, “Verizon’s networks power a future-proof strategy, built on strong trends in Mobility, Broadband and Cloud. We imagined a world of hyper-connectivity and massive capacity, knowing it would inspire innovation and new use cases. We see immense momentum today and what has us most excited is that we know that our network will support use cases that have not yet even been imagined.”

The Metaverse

As 5G becomes more available with Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network, they’re looking for opportunities for partnerships. They’ve paired up with Meta in a “first-of-its-kind strategic partnership.” Their vision is to couple their 5G Ultra Wideband network and edge compute capabilities with Meta’s technologies to understand the foundational requirements for metaverse applications. They’ll work together to evaluate how Verizon’s mobile edge compute infrastructure can provide intensive XR cloud rendering and low latency streaming, which are core capabilities needed for metaverse applications.

Private Networking

With traditional wireless technology solutions, organizations are often left with coverage gaps, fractured security and inconsistent service quality that leads to costly downtime and lower productivity. To solve this problem for its customers, Verizon Business announced a new, cost competitive, turn-key private networking solution with Celona, that will accelerate the use of private 5G to support a new generation of business initiatives. Together, Verizon and Celona will offer one solution with a common relationship, contract, support center and implementation team.

+play, a new content hub

Verizon also announced a new “+play” feature for subscribers, offering a “direct-to-consumer platform” to allow users to discover, purchase, and manage their favorite subscriptions in one place (similar to Apple TV or Prime Video Channels). Verizon customers will have access to exclusive deals through partnerships with Disney+, Netflix, Peloton, and others. +play is set to launch later this year, with limited trials beginning at the end of this month.

Ultra C-Band

With the expansion of C-Band coverage, Verizon provides additional growth opportunities in nationwide broadband with over 150,000 net additions expected for fixed wireless access alone in the first quarter of 2022.

Over the next few years, they plan to significantly expand its fixed wireless coverage of households and businesses. Ideally, they’ll cover 50 million households and 14 million businesses, and have 4 to 5 million total fixed wireless subscribers by the end of 2025.

By 5G , , , , ,

What Are AT&T and its Partners Doing to Improve 5G Networking

As 5G coverage and usage continues to grow, AT&T is focusing on partnering with some companies like Rakuten Symphony, Nokia, and IBM to help address the ever changing needs of service providers and the way in which different industries operate. 

Rakuten Symphony, a comms platform provider, has something called Rakuten Symworld. This platform is designed to offer one-touch access to a suite of next-gen network software apps, which can update and automate any mobile network.  Industrialized automation and data-driven solutions are available for planning, designing, deploying, operating, securing and maintaining new and existing networks – all at the speed and scale of the cloud. 

Together, they will utilize experience and expertise from technologies currently being used by AT&T in the US and Rakuten Mobile in Japan. Efforts will be focussed on accelerating network planning and deployment in greenfield and brownfield environments. They eventually plan to develop new capabilities and offer additional solutions to mobile network operators across the globe to simplify, digitize and automate their mobile network deployments.

AT&T’s deal with Rakuten comes just days after it was announced they had entered into a partnership with Microsoft. A world with smarter, simpler private 5G networks with more flexibility for businesses is their focus.

In another major partnership, AT&T extends its relationship with IBM to help enterprise users navigate the transitioning of their industry along with new technologies. The partnership has lasted more than 20 years at this point and they’ve done quite a bit together in that time. At this time however, the two companies plan on showing the digital transformation potential of 5G wireless networking and edge computing. 

Edge computing has proven to be capable of enabling faster, improved data analysis, along with creating an opportunity for deeper insights, faster response times and enhanced customer experience.  

“Together, AT&T and IBM have created simulated environments for enterprise clients to physically experience the power of AT&T’s connectivity with hybrid cloud and AI technology from IBM. Businesses across all industries—including the public sector, manufacturing, and financial services — can tap into this collaboration to quickly and securely innovate and tackle challenges gripping several industries today – from supply chain disruptions to cyber threats and ransomware to demand for frictionless services in the world of 5G,” said the AT&T announcement.

AT&T noticed there was demand from new users requiring greater uplink performance from 5G networks, which led them to a partnership with Nokia’s Bell Labs. They have been working to develop distributed massive multiple input, multiple output (DmMIMO) technology. This can significantly increase uplink capacity and speeds in 5G networks without requiring an overly complex solution.

Per the announcement from Nokia, “DmMIMO allows devices to leverage signal propagation to multiple cells or antenna panels in a network when establishing a link, thereby turning noise into a useful signal and increasing the uplink throughput. The data transmission is pieced together from multiple antenna panels and cell sites through distributed baseband processing. The processing load between the cell site radio units and the central processing unit is split in a novel way, reducing the fronthaul capacity to cell sites and hence lowering the cost.”

Testing the proof-of-concept technology is being done by Nokia in AT&T’s labs. The simulations were shown to have “demonstrated increases in 5G uplink capacity between 60% and 90% compared to similarly configured systems with a single panel.” Together, the partners have also determined that while other techniques come at the expense of downlink capacity, DmMIMO produces sizable increases in uplink capacity without sacrificing performance.

By 5G , , , , , , , , ,

When Will Sprint’s 3G Network Shut Down?

AT&T’s 3G network was the first of the carriers’ to be shut down. Next on the list is Sprint. Since its merger with T-Mobile in April 2020, this network is currently controlled by T-Mobile. The sunset of the Sprint 3G (CDMA) network is part of T-Mobile’s network evolution plan to make LTE and 5G services available to more users nationwide. 

Here’s the alert that was sent to customers just recently:

–

Dear Customer,

On March 31, 2022, Sprint’s older 3G (CDMA) network will be retired. Customers still using a device that is dependent on Sprint’s 3G (CDMA) network or that does not support VoLTE will need to upgrade to a more modern device to continue getting service, including the ability to make 911 calls depending on your location.

Some device models that will need to be upgraded include:

  • Devices (handsets, IoT/M2M, tablets and air cards) that operate solely on the Sprint CDMA Network
  • Devices that operate using dual mode CDMA/LTE or LTE technologies that do not support Voice over LTE (“VoLTE”)

For additional information, see here.

We understand the importance of being able to plan for these network changes and we are committed to keeping you informed with up-to-date information.

Thank you for being a T-Mobile for Business Partner.

Sincerely,

Your Partner Program Team

–

It’s also important to note that as of June 30, 2022 Sprint’s LTE network will be retired. Starting the next day on July 1, 2022, T-Mobile’s older 3G UMTS network will be retired.

T-Mobile also shared that they plan on retiring their older GSM 2G network, however no date has been set. 

By 5G , , , , , ,

Where is FirstNet on 5G Available?

FirstNet is a nationwide wireless broadband network specifically made for first responders. It offers public safety a dedicated communications network which helps them safely do their jobs to protect our communities. About 20 years ago, the legislature passed that verified FirstNet would operate as a government entity. It is because of this that unlike its partner AT&T, there will be no sunset for FirstNet service. For almost five years now, AT&T has been working hard to build out and manage the nation’s first network dedicated to public safety. As of last week, they’ve hit another milestone by expanding 5G access to new locations. 

In addition to the 10 they announced last year, AT&T’s FirstNet now offers low-band 5G in the following areas: 

  • Savannah, GA 
  • Western Kansas 
  • Lansing, MI 
  • Minneapolis, MN 
  • Toledo, OH
  • Charleston, SC
  • Hilton Head, SC
  • Sioux Falls, SD 
  • Richmond, VA 
  • Redmond, WA

Previously announced cities include: 

  • Austin, TX
  • Charlotte, NC
  • Cleveland, OH
  • Dallas, TX
  • El Paso, TX 
  • Houston, TX
  • Knoxville, TN 
  • Phoenix, AZ
  • Raleigh, NC
  • San Antonio, TX

AT&T also has something they call 5G+ for public safety, which is 5G operating on millimeter wave. This is available in parts of around 40 cities as well as 35 stadiums and venues. AT&T says they will continue rolling out 5G connectivity for FirstNet in more communities when possible. Unfortunately, that does not include using C-Band. 

“While 5G will ultimately bring a combination of benefits like ultra-low latency and ultra-high speeds to support all kinds of users, it’s essential we approach 5G in a different way for first responders,” said AT&T Public Sector/FirstNet President Jason Porter, in a statement. “That’s why, with FirstNet, we’re taking the right steps for public safety. We’ve upgraded the dedicated FirstNet network core to enable reliable 5G connectivity. This gives first responders priority access across AT&T 5G+ (mmWave) spectrum in parts of more than 40 cities and 35 stadiums and venues, as well as across AT&T 5G in 20 cities across the country. We look forward to continuing our work with the FirstNet Authority to evolve public safety’s network and grow access to 5G for America’s first responders.”

According to AT&T, FirstNet now reaches more than 2.81 million square miles across the country, which means it covers 50,000+ more square miles than the largest commercial networks. They also reported more than 3 million connections nationwide are using FirstNet, as of last year. 

While first responders have access to other options for public safety networking, AT&T has been growing more popular (compared to options from Verizon and T-Mobile). Now that AT&T has surpassed 95% of the planned FirstNet, it’s on track to complete the network by their deadline in March 2023.  

As we know, 5G service is difficult to achieve indoors at a significant difference to LTE. So, AT&T is also making a point to improve in-building public safety connectivity. A majority of wireless calls take place indoors and GPS is not that effective indoors either. 

The effort to work on these improvements is being handled by the FirstNet team within AT&T. They are also collaborating with Safer Buildings Coalition, whose mission it is to solve the problem of indoor wireless dead zones. Together, they have been supporting the deployment of Band 14 while also promoting in-building installation standards that meet or exceed existing code and industry best practices.

By 5G , ,

Spring into Action!

If you’re like most people, you’re eager to get outside this spring. Now you can get out while you work with the assistance of Verizon’s One Talk service. 

Verizon One Talk is a versatile, multi-line phone solution for offices, remote work, or a combination of both. Your mobile phone number is shared across multiple devices, giving you a single phone number, so that you can gain access to calls and business telephone features while on the go.

Just imagine you have an essential appointment out of the office, but you have been waiting on an important call. Not to worry because you can be at two places at the same time with the Verizon One Talk Mobile App! Now you can receive all of your important calls from anywhere in the world.

How Does it Work?

Go to your Google Play or App Store. Search for the Verizon One Talk app and download. Or click on the links below.

Google Play

App Store

Follow these steps:

  • Sign in
  • Each One Talk phone number can use the One Talk Mobile and Desktop apps on up to 5 different devices. Using the One Talk phone number in the Desktop app counts toward the limit of 5 devices.
  • Open One Talk and sign in.
  • Select One Talk Phone Number and enter your One Talk phone number.
  • Select Device Name and enter a name for your device. (Minimum 3 characters.)
  • Click Request PIN.
  • Check your email for your activation PIN*. It’s the email address your One Talk administrator used when setting up your Verizon One Talk account.
  • Enter your activation PIN and click Activate.

Your mobile app will now ring when your desk phone rings! 

Need a break? Turn your app on Do Not Disturb in the phone app. Then all your calls will go to your voicemail!

*The One Talk Mobile app is not compatible with Galaxy Z Fold phones or Microsoft Surface Tablets

By 5G , , , ,