Tag: Cellular

RootMetrics Reports on 2H 2022: How the Cellular Networks Compare

RootMetrics just released its report that measures overall network experience and performance for the most popular cellular networks in North America.

Test results were based on the second half of 2022 and cover all network technologies (5G, 4G LTE, and any sub-4G technology). The report also looks at the newest C-Band 5G performance for AT&T and Verizon. The test space for the report consists of the entirety of the United States, which includes 125 of the country’s most populated metropolitan markets (as defined by the United States Census Bureau’s Census Urbanized Areas [CUAs].

The report noted a few important points to take away regarding the three top cellular networks: AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.

2022 RootMetrics Report Highlights for AT&T

AT&T won five national awards, including the U.S. Overall Performance RootScore Award. AT&T was also recognized within the Reliability, Speed, Data and Call categories. AT&T tied with Verizon for first in the Text category. Additionally, AT&T also took home the most State RootScore Awards. Its results in major cities were strong, but it came in second to Verizon. AT&T shows 5G speed gains in 70 C-Band markets. Overall, AT&T has clearly made some improvements, both in LTE and 5G. 

2022 RootMetrics Report Highlights for T-Mobile

Compared with its competitors, T-Mobile’s results showed great speeds. It took home 88 Speed RootScore Score Awards, which were higher than those of AT&T (59) or Verizon (71).

Out of all carriers, T-Mobile’s overall median download speeds measured above 50 Mbps in the most cities. T-Mobile was also the only carrier that posted median download speeds above 200 Mbps. These speeds were achieved in 59 markets.

Even more impressive is how in 32 of those cities, T-Mobile recorded median download speeds above 300 Mbps; additionally, it acheived 400 Mbps speeds in one city (Fort Wayne, Indiana). Overall, the carrier delivered the Fastest 5G and the Best Overall 5G Experience in the U.S. for the third time. It was recognized for its top 5G availability four years in a row.

2022 RootMetrics Report Highlights for Verizon

Verizon took home the most awards out of any carrier in major metropolitan markets — a total of 747 awards out of 875 total opportunities. This was a representation of roughly 85% of all possible network awards. Verizon demonstrated the best 5G reliability out of all cellular carriers and earned the second most state-level awards. Verizon showed improved speeds, including 5G C-Band speed increases: RootMetrics’ tests recorded Verizon’s C-Band in 102 of its 123 cities with 5G. Further, the carrier’s 5G speeds improved in nearly 90 of these markets since 1H 2022. Outstanding Verizon reliability has also been seen in major metros, compared to 1H 2022.

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How to Find a Cellular Failover Solution for Home Office/ Remote Work

When it comes to failover Internet connections, any type of Internet service can be used to backup another. However, due to the reliability of a cellular Internet connection, this is typically the recommended service type. Since the service comes through wirelessly from cell towers, it is less prone to service outages. Unlike wired services, which are run underground in most cases and can easily be broken. 

If you require Internet service in order to work remotely from home or run a home office, then you should consider a failover connection. This can be quite an overwhelming process when you first get started. We hope this article will help guide you through. 

Selecting a Cellular Provider 

Another benefit of cellular services is that they are quick and easy to install. Some users will start by contacting the same service provider as they use on their cell phones. This is an easy way to verify where you have coverage. If needed, check coverage maps from other providers to compare. 

Also think about whether you need 4G LTE or 5G service. Currently, the fastest 5G service is limited to small areas within large cities. Other 5G services will provide similar performance as 4G LTE, so it’s worth verifying this with the carrier if it’s not clearly defined on their map. You may also want to look into how much bandwidth your common applications use. This will help determine how much bandwidth speed you need from the cellular provider. 

Keep in mind that in any case, cellular bandwidth speeds are variable. They will differ with regards to the frequency band(s) your cellular router is connected to, along with its signal strength and quality. Other factors such as the user load on the cell tower you’re connecting to can also affect your speeds. The best approach is to place the cellular router in a part of your location where signal and speeds are most stable. If you find the only place like that is outside, an external antenna can always be added. 

Purchasing a Data Plan

Once you’ve decided on a cellular provider to use for your home office or remote work, you’ll need to purchase a data plan. If you have coverage from multiple providers, check with each to compare what data plans are offered. These plans will typically differ with how much data they allow you to use over the course of a month, as well as the price. If you’re not sure how much that is, you can utilize our data usage calculator to assist. We’ve also outlined typical usage for common applications such as VoIP, Video Calls, and VPN to help you determine how much data you may need. 

You’ll find that in most cases usage required for your most important applications can be well under 1 GB of data. This is the amount of data that 5Gstore includes with their current failover plans. Any additional data used will be priced at $10 per 1 GB. For more information, check out our Data Plans here. 

Finding an Appropriate Failover Router

The cellular provider will give you an activated SIM card along with the data plan. This will be inserted into the cellular router. What do you need to look for exactly? Are there any specific features you need like VPN or QoS support? What about the hardware – do you need a certain number of Ethernet ports? Use our router advisor to help narrow down the options. 

Have you selected a cellular provider to use? If so, do they have 5G service in your location? Even if they do, is it necessary to use your applications successfully? As we stated earlier, determining how much bandwidth speed your applications require will help answer this. 

Consider how you might limit your data usage when on your failover connection. This is easiest when you push only your mission critical devices/ applications (e.g. your VoIP phone and computer) over the failover connection. This can be possible by keeping your failover network separate from your primary one. 

Or, you may opt for a multi-WAN router that takes both connections and handles the failover itself. These routers usually support load balancing rules, which can also help with managing usage. Load balancing differs between router manufacturers, but generally speaking, it allows you to send specific connections over a single Internet service as needed. For example, you can have your VoIP setup to connect to either your primary or failover service while all other devices/ applications can only use your primary service. 

Where to Start?

Whether you’re looking for a separate failover router or something that can connect to both your primary and failover connections, here are some popular solutions:

Contact the experts at 5Gstore (phone, email, or chat) for assistance with finding the appropriate router and failover plan for your needs. 

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OpenSignal Reports: Who is the Best Cellular Provider?

OpenSignal has released their collection of data from cellular providers over the dates of September 16 to December 14 of 2022. It will be no surprise to some of us that in these cellular reports, T-Mobile has won out above the rest, yet again. 

On the mobile network experience report, multiple factors were tested. For overall experience, the cellular report included video, games, voice app, download speed, and upload speed. For coverage, they checked availability across the providers. Lastly, they checked for consistency in excellent quality and core quality. 

Experience and coverage might make sense, but what about consistency? Per OpenSignal, “Consistent Quality measures how often users’ experience on a network was sufficient to support common applications’ requirements. It measures download speed, upload speed, latency, jitter, packet loss, time to first byte and the percentage of tests attempted which did not succeed due to a connectivity issue on either the download or server response component.”

Core Consistent Quality represents common, but less demanding use cases such as SD video streaming, web browsing, and email use. Excellent Consistent Quality is designed for higher quality applications such as live video streaming and streaming video games. See how Consistent quality metrics are calculated here.

The only awards that T-Mobile did not take was in the Availability section. That award goes to the previous champion, AT&T. AT&T and Verizon were only 0.2 percentage points away from each other. T-Mobile came up last with a score of 98%.

OpenSignal’s 5G Experience Report awards were a bit of a toss up between Verizon and T-Mobile. The UnCarrier took a slight lead by winning in 4 categories (download and upload speeds, as well as availability and reach), versus Verizon’s 3 (Video, Games, and Voice app experiences). Much like the mobile network experience report, the 5G cellular report tests the same categories, but with 5G specifically, and less the consistency awards. Instead, in coverage, they checked both availability and reach.

Experience awards were all quite close, with Verizon just barely winning out over T-Mobile. The only exception being 5G download speeds. T-Mobile was the clear winner here, topping out at 186.3 Mbps versus 84.9 Mbps from Verizon and 71.1 Mbps from AT&T. Regarding coverage and 5G Availability, T-Mobile won again with a far lead of 30% over its closest competitor, AT&T. 

Per OpenSignal, “5G Reach measures the 5G mobile experience in all the locations that matter most to everyday users – i.e. all the places where they live, work and travel. 5G Reach for each operator is measured on a scale from 0 to 10.” The results were a bit closer on this one. With a score of 8.3, T-Mobile had a little over a 2 point lead ahead of AT&T and about 4 points from Verizon.  

Something to keep in mind when reviewing the results for yourself – tests were done at the national and regional level. While T-Mobile may be the majority winner, take note of the winners in your state. You may find a different provider is more appropriate.

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How Can a Cellular Failover Help My Business?

Cellular routers are a type of networking device that allows you to connect to the internet using a cellular network rather than a traditional wired connection like cable or DSL. They are often used as a backup or failover option for businesses and organizations that need a reliable internet connection as frequently as possible. This would be because they may not have access to a stable wired connection, and cannot afford much downtime.

There are several benefits to using a cellular router for failover:

  • Reliability: Cellular networks are generally more reliable than wired connections, especially in areas where the wired infrastructure can be damaged or not yet installed.
  • Flexibility: Cellular routers can be used in any location with a cellular signal, making them a great option for businesses that need to be able to connect from any location
  • Cost-effective: In many cases, cellular data plans are more cost-effective than traditional wired internet plans. While prices can vary, wired services like cable or fiber can generally cost around $100 to $300. In comparison, many cellular data plans are around $25 to $100. 
  • Easy setup: Cellular routers are easy to set up and don’t require any special infrastructure or installation. They can be up and running in less than a day. 

WHAT IS FAILOVER?

Failover is a mechanism that allows a device to automatically switch to another network connection when its primary connection, such as a wired or wireless internet connection, becomes unavailable. This ensures that the device can continue to function and access the internet even if the primary connection is lost or disrupted. The goal of failover is to minimize disruption and maintain the availability of the system as much as possible.

Failover systems can be configured in a variety of ways. It can either be a totally automatic switch between WAN connections, or more of a manual switch between networks. Routers that provide automatic failover will support multiple WAN connections rather than just one. They will have some sort of automatic check in place to verify if the Internet connection is up or down. These checks allow the router to detect the outage of a connection and then switch to another available WAN connection that it has also verified is up or online. Aside from a possible difference in bandwidth, it’s likely you won’t notice the failure with these routers. 

Manual failover is going to be similar to using a single primary WAN connection through any router. Once a user detects the connection is down, they will need to manually switch their connection from the router that has failed, to one that is online. While this is not ideal for all users, it can certainly be more affordable. 

There are also multi-WAN, failover routers that support different manners in which failover operates. Normally, when a higher priority WAN connection is established, the backup connections are in an active, but passive state. While they are ready to connect, they do not actually establish a connection until the higher priority fails. This is also known as a cold standby state. 

The backup connections can also be in a completely active state where they are connected at the same time as the higher priority WAN. Traffic may or may not be routed over the backup while the primary WAN is connected – unless you’re using load balancing. This is what we typically call a hot standby state. The backup is already connected to the Internet and therefore the failover switch is much faster. 

Overall, failover systems are an important component of a robust and reliable network. They help to ensure that the system can continue to function even in the event of a failure.

USING A CELLULAR BACKUP

There are several situations in which cellular failover, in particular, can be useful. If a device is connected to a wireless network and the wireless signal becomes weak or unstable, the device can switch to a cellular connection to maintain a stable internet connection. Cellular failover can also be helpful in areas where wired internet is not available. Or, in cases where the primary internet connection is lost due to a line fault, power outage or other issue.

Cellular failover is often used in business settings, where a stable and reliable internet connection is critical for productivity. It can also be useful for individuals who rely on internet connectivity for important tasks, such as email or online transactions.

In order to use cellular failover, a device must be equipped with a cellular modem and have a cellular data plan in place. This is where the 5Gstore team can assist. We’ll determine which cellular failover router is best for your need. You can then pair it with one of our failover data plans. 

There are many different router solutions you can consider. Some cellular routers are just that. They have a cellular modem built in and allow for local connections via Ethernet and WiFi. They do not support any wired WAN connections and therefore cannot support an automated failover process. For example, the Inseego FX2000e or Inseego Skyus 160. These routers can stand alone. You may also put them into a passthrough mode and connect them to your existing router. For example, you would unplug your primary WAN once it has failed, and replace it with the cellular router’s connection). 

Other routers, like the Peplink Balance 20X, not only support a built-in cellular modem. They also have an Ethernet WAN port where you can connect your primary wired WAN. This will support an automated failover process since both the cellular and Ethernet WAN connections live in the same router. 

SELECTING THE APPROPRIATE ROUTER

The 5Gstore sales team can help to guide you towards the best solution for your needs. However, you’ll need to do a little research yourself as well. Some things to ask yourself include how and where you will be using the router. Are there specific devices that must have close to 24/7 connectivity? Are there devices that can survive without a connection temporarily? 

Keep in mind that there are a few key factors to consider when selecting a cellular failover router:

  • Carrier coverage: Make sure the router is compatible with a carrier that has good coverage in your area. It’s also a good idea to check the carrier’s data plans, their reliability and customer support.
  • Network speeds: Consider the speeds offered by the router and carrier, as well as the router’s ability to handle multiple devices. This is particularly important if you’ll be using the router for business purposes or if you have a lot of devices that need to connect to the internet.
  • Security: Look for a router with robust security features, such as a firewall, VPN support, and encryption. You can rest assured that any router you purchase from the 5Gstore will have all of these features. 
  • Ease of use: Consider the user interface and management tools of the router. You’ll want a router that is easy to set up and manage, particularly if you’re not technically savvy. While the user interfaces differ from one manufacturer to another, our team is trained to provide support for any of the products you purchase. 
  • Cost: Determine your budget and look for a router that offers the features you need at a price you can afford.
  • Brand reputation: Do some research on the brand and read reviews from other users to get a sense of the router’s reliability and customer support.

By considering these factors, you can find a cellular failover router that meets your needs. A solution which provides reliable internet connectivity when your primary internet connection goes down. 

For further information and assistance, please reach out to our team by phone, email, or chat!

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Cellular Industry Lingo – What do those terms mean?

The cellular industry and all the jargon surrounding it can be rather confusing at times. There’s also so many cellular products to choose from that it can be difficult to determine what features you need. In effort to help you better understand, we’ve outlined some important terms and how they relate to the way cellular technology works. 

LTE Categories

You may have heard the term “Cat” before when it comes to Ethernet cables (e.g. Cat 5, Cat 6), but what about when someone is talking about cellular? “Cat” refers to the category of a 4G LTE modem (5G does NOT use categories). 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) is a cellular technology in which both voice and data service can operate.

Categories are used to define the performance specs of the LTE device. They range from 1 to 22 and differ with regards to the frequency band support as well as the upload and download speeds they are capable of running. For example, Cat 1 modems can download at up to 10 Mbps (megabits), while Cat 22 modems are going to receive download speeds of up to 2.5 Gbps (gigabits).

What is MiMO?

Some other differences between LTE categories is the number of antenna connections they use. Categories 1 through 4 are all going to have a main and diversity/ auxiliary port. This is called a MiMO connection (2×2 specifically). MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) is a technology used in wireless communication systems to improve the capacity and performance of the communication link. MIMO systems use multiple antennas at both the transmitter and the receiver to transmit and receive multiple data streams simultaneously over the same frequency band. 

In the case of 2×2 (Cat 1-4) or 4×4 MIMO (Cat 6 and higher), there are two or four antennas at both the transmitter and the receiver, which allows for the transmission of two or four data streams in parallel. This can significantly increase the capacity and performance of the communication link, especially in environments with high levels of interference or noise.

Cat 1, up to Cat 4 support a limited number of frequency bands. They can only connect to one frequency band at a time. This is why some users can get away with having only one antenna attached to the main port of these modems – there’s enough usable signal and bandwidth with just one. 

In comparison, devices using category 6 or higher – known as LTE Advanced modems – can connect to 2 or more frequency bands at the same time. They will also support more frequency bands and utilize carrier aggregation, as it is typically called. This allows LTE Advanced modems to pull in more signal and bandwidth when there are multiple frequency bands available in the area. 

Carrier Aggregation

Carrier aggregation is a technique used in wireless communications that allows a mobile device or wireless modem to combine or “aggregate” multiple wireless channels or carriers into a single, wider channel in order to increase the data transfer rates and overall capacity of the connection. It is often used in the context of 4G (LTE) and 5G cellular networks.

Here’s how carrier aggregation works:

  • A mobile device or wireless modem is equipped with a multi-channel receiver that can receive and transmit data on multiple frequency bands or carriers.
  • The device is connected to the cellular network through a base station, which is equipped with multiple antennas that transmit and receive data on different carriers or frequency bands.
  • The device and the base station communicate with each other to determine the best combination of carriers or frequency bands that can be aggregated to form a single, wider channel.
  • Once the carriers are aggregated, the device and the base station can communicate with each other using the combined channel, resulting in increased data transfer rates and overall capacity.
  • Carrier aggregation is an important technique for improving the performance of wireless networks, especially in areas where there is a high demand for data and the available spectrum is limited. It allows mobile operators to offer faster and more reliable data services to their customers, and it can help to improve the coverage and capacity of cellular networks.

Interested in learning more about cellular? Reach out to us via phone, email, or chat!

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How Do I Perform a Cellular Site Survey?

When it comes to boosting cellular signal, it can be extremely helpful to perform a site survey. This is a simple cellular network strength test of signal and bandwidth.

Verifying where you have the best signal and bandwidth speeds first, will not only help determine the ideal placement for your external antenna, but that there is enough available signal to increase network performance. Even the best outdoor antenna or amplifier kit can only increase your signal if there is a signal available to draw in. On the other hand, if your signal is already strong, a signal booster might not provide enough benefit to be cost effective.

While this is mainly done for fixed applications. such as at your home or business. You may also do this if you’re traveling and planning to stay in the same location for an extended period. 

There are tools like the SureCall Site Survey kit which is made specifically for testing signal strength. However, unless you need an easy way to test multiple carrier signals, a cell phone or cellular modem can be sufficient. Cell phones will, of course, be limited to only the carrier they are linked to. Though if you have a cellular modem – Peplink, Cradlepoint, Digi, Inseego, Sierra Wireless, etc – you can test any carrier for which you have an active SIM card. 

Before you get started, it’s important you understand the data you’re looking for. RSSI, (Received Signal Strength Indicator), as well as RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power). These are both values that measure signal strength. RSRP is what you will want to refer to when looking at LTE and 5G signals. These signal values will be represented as a negative number. The closer this number is to 0, the stronger the signal strength. 

Also note the RSRQ (Received Signal Received Quality) and SINR (Signal to Noise Ratio). These values are what you’ll refer to for the signal quality of LTE and 5G connections. The SINR value will be the only value that is a positive number. Not all modems will list this value.  

Each of these values varies for different technologies and carriers as they depend on the particular abilities of the modem – essentially how well it can extract a signal. The values shown in the charts here are what we typically reference. 

We cannot guarantee a particular signal or improved performance, regardless of the signal strength and quality.  This is because of the many factors which affect signal values. Such as:

  • Distance to the cell tower.
  • Tower load.
  • Physical barriers (mountains, buildings, trains, etc).
  • Competing signals.
  • Signal from a cellular booster.
  • Weather.  

Unfortunately, there is no clear cut answer to what constitutes a successful connection. It is possible to disconnect with excellent, as well as poor values. You have to take both signal strength and signal quality into account. You could have an excellent signal, but disconnect because of poor quality. And vice versa. You may also stay connected because of good signal, but have poor bandwidth speeds because of poor signal quality. 

The variance of a signal is a significant factor in the success of a connection. Measurements of signal strength and signal quality for a specific moment do not reflect on the stability of a connection, as these values will vary as conditions change. 

Some factors, like cell tower load, can’t even be measured. You can only gain some idea as to whether or not tower load affects your connection by testing at different times of day. This allows you to find averages, but also helps to confirm if you’ll see any improvement when the tower is at full load.  

We understand that finding RSRP and RSRQ on a cell phone could be a bit tricky compared to cellular modems and routers. Some phones will only list RSRP. In the event you cannot locate these specific values from your cellular device, doing a site survey using the signal bars as a reference is fine. At a minimum, the signal bars will give you some data to compare with. It’s also best if you can perform speed tests in multiple points at the location. This can help determine if bandwidth performance improves. Especially when you’re not seeing a change in signal bars. 

To perform the site survey, try to answer the following, as best you can.

  • What is the RSRP indoors, at the location you use your device?
  • At that location, what are your speeds? You can use a site like speedtest.net to check your download and upload speeds.
  • What is the best RSRP you could find immediately outside and around the building?
  • At that location outside, what are your speed test results?
  • If the signal outside the building is not significantly better than it is inside, walk or drive in the direction of a better signal until you find a significantly better signal. At that location, what are your speedtest results?
  • What’s between you and that optimal signal? Trees? Elevation? How far away is it?  

For your reference, you can find instructions for locating your RSRP and RSRQ/ SINR on the Apple iPhone, Samsung, Google, Blackberry, and Nokia phones here.  

For different router instructions, check out our YouTube Channel.

If you have more questions, or would like assistance determining if an antenna or amplifier system can help you, reach out to our team by phone, email, or chat!

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How are Cellular Carriers Handling the Hurricane?

As Hurricane Ian continues to wreak havoc on our East coast, many people will find themselves without power or cellular service. However, AT&T just made an announcement yesterday that they are taking new measures to ensure customers of other carriers can stay connected. Thankfully, Verizon and T-Mobile have announced similar efforts. 

During and after the storm, AT&T will have roaming available to all locations affected by the hurricane. In a statement they said the following:

“We are working to help the people affected by Hurricane Ian in Florida. To assist in the recovery, we’re now welcoming other carriers’ customers to roam on our networks so they can connect, even if their carrier’s service isn’t available after the storm. Once this roaming begins, customers will automatically be connected to our network.”

Verizon’s announcement also came yesterday. They are currently working on refueling generators at its cell sites to ensure they stay running. Their engineers also started to deploy mobile assets (temporary mobile network equipment), prioritizing core public safety and government EOCs including police departments, fire departments, search and rescue teams. In affected areas, customers will have unlimited calling, texting, and data until October 4, 2022.

T-Mobile made a similar announcement and will be providing unlimited connections to customers in affected areas until October 3. They explained that their teams are on the ground checking equipment where it’s safe to do so. Teams are also working in the hardest hit areas to restore service. Per their announcement:

“Additional emergency equipment and teams have been staged in Alabama, Georgia and parts of Florida and are deploying into impacted areas where it is safe to do so. This includes mobile network command centers, generators and fuel trucks, along with mobile network equipment such as COLTs and SatCOLTs (Cells on Light Trucks and Satellite Cells on Light Trucks) and COWs (Cells on Wheels).”

We wish all of those in Florida a quick and safe recovery and hope that our friends along the rest of the east coast stay safe as well.

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What is Cradlepoint NetCloud Exchange?

As our businesses changed with the pandemic, the need for the Internet in remote locations, cloud computing, and security all increased and continues to do so. Among other companies, Cradlepoint was able to assist greatly in these areas. At this time, their company believes that wide area network (WAN) architectures have proven too limited. They’re also too inflexible for securely connecting distributed enterprise sites, vehicles, remote employees and devices.

5G is also quite a big factor here that will assist in evolving the industry standards. Cellular is becoming more essential as an alternative or backup WAN so it is important that it can easily be managed and secured.

As a response, Cradlepoint has released a new version of NetCloud that is designed to address common issues and help “lean IT organizations” amplify their 5G experience. This will assist with advanced SD-WAN, zero-trust capabilities, and security services.

“As organizations continue to undergo digital transformation, IT teams must evolve how they manage the network edge,” said Rohit Mehra, group vice-president of network and telecom infrastructure at leading analyst IDC. “Cradlepoint’s innovation in wireless WAN is enabling enterprises to deploy 5G with the management and security functions needed to scale.”

The new software, called NetCloud Exchange, is based on what is called an agile LTE/5G VPN-like service. More importantly, it’s been designed to enable secure end-to-end connections for thousands of locations in just three steps. Zero-trust principles include IP address cloaking and no default network access to change the traditional VPN paradigm from “connect and then secure”, to “secure and then connect” to provide least privileged-based access.

Advanced SD-WAN features are of course an extension of Cradlepoint’s current SD-WAN capabilities. The advancement is that they have added end-to-end support and advanced application optimization. This adds features such as 5G network slicing, simplified configuration at scale, more advanced cloud integration, more resilient and flexible traffic steering, and more scalable and resilient private and cloud data center terminations.

Zero-trust network access consists of a service that is simple to deploy and uses flexible, granular user, site, application and resource-based policies that use identity, context and 5G attributes to control network access.  

All services are delivered using the NetCloud Exchange Service Gateway offering for private and cloud data centers, which aggregates remote connections, provides flow-level visibility and acts as the policy-enforcement point for the services it supports.

Cradlepoint’s EMEA product manager said, “Most network solutions today are designed for wired-only deployments. With the new NetCloud Exchange extension, NetCloud now offers new 5G and security-first services to support enterprise WAN transformation, including end-to-end secure connectivity, hybrid SD-WAN and zero-trust networking – all lifecycle-managed through a single pane of glass.”

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How Do I Activate My Cellular Device?

Today we’re going to go over some details and tips for activating your cellular modem or router. First, a little background information before you get started. Each cellular device – whether that be your cell phone, a mobile hotspot, or a cellular router – has an IMEI number. This is much like a serial number, as it is used to identify cellular devices. 

Each cellular carrier has a certification process they put cellular modems through. This is essentially a test to verify the modem is compatible with their network and capable of providing the necessary performance. Once certified, you can reach out to the carrier with the modem’s IMEI number and they will confirm compatibility and activate an appropriate data plan. For example, check out the links from Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile below. These will provide you a list of all certified devices on their network. 

In cases that you might have a cellular modem that supports the proper frequency bands for your cellular carrier, but is “not” certified, it may still be possible to use this with a pre-activated SIM card. However, this may not work if the modem requires a different SIM card. Such as a 5G SIM card for the new 5G modems. Or if the data plan on the current SIM is not compatible with the modem. We mainly run into this where users have a grandfathered or pre-paid data plan. This also means even with a certified device, if the SIM card and data plan is not supported on the modem, you will need to change your data plan. If this might be the case for you, we advise inquiring with the carrier about making a switch first. 

The SIM card the carrier provides should be the correct size for your modem, but this is also something you’ll want to be clear on before you insert it into your modem. Currently, there are three sizes that modems use. Most require the 2FF size, which is also sometimes referred to as a standard or mini SIM. This is the largest of the three. Next is the 3FF, also called “micro.” And the smallest is known as a 4FF, or nano size. These days you’ll generally get a “combi” or “trio” type SIM card, which allows you to pop out the size your device requires.

Modems will differ slightly with regards to how the SIM card is inserted also. Take time to review the modem setup instructions, along with the diagrams shown on the hardware, as this will illustrate the proper orientation. Please double check this information as inserting the SIM card incorrectly may damage the device and/or the SIM card. 

Are you still looking for more tips? Chat with our team online, give us a call, or send us an email. We look forward to helping you get, and stay connected!

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How Many 5G Devices Were Certified in 2021?

The Global Certification Forum (GCF) tests, certifies, and connects mobile and IoT products to networks and services. Each year, they publish a Mobile Device Trends report. Its recent report highlights the quick moving migration to 5G, with over 30% of all devices in 2021 integrating the technology. 

GCF has over 150 device manufacturers, located across 25 countries, that are currently working with their team. The analysis of GCF certifications – which are recognized by network operators with interests in global markets – provides insights into the mobile technologies and functionalities being requested by operators and end users across markets worldwide.

Information gathered shows that there has been an increase in support for 5G standalone (SA) operation – nearly 90% of 5G devices. However, even though the initial rollout had surpassed LTE in terms of its proportion of all devices, 5G has fallen behind in the third year of its deployment.

In 2021, GCF certified 609 device models from 89 manufacturers. This was up 18% from the 75 in 2020, but the number of certified devices dropped nearly 15% from the previous year.

It’s possible that this decline could be partly due to the continuing shift towards 5G. In 2020, many smartphones were produced (and certified) in separate 4G and 5G model variants. Compare that to 2021, where more models came in a single 5G version. Then there’s the worldwide chip shortage, which caused problems across many industries.

The integration of 5G into devices has continued to increase rapidly. However, after an initial burst in 2020, the proportion of new devices incorporating 5G has fallen behind the level for LTE. In 2021, the percentage of all devices certified with integrated 5G went up from 21% in 2020, to 31%. Among these, there was a significant jump in the proportion supporting 5G SA operation. 65% of the 5G devices certified in 2021 (123 of 189) supported 5G SA, up from 34% in 2020. This rate continues to grow and, in 2022 year-to-date, the proportion of 5G devices supporting 5G SA is 88%.

Smartphones remained the largest category of device in 2021 (43%) with modules in second place at nearly 30%. The third largest category in 2021 was WLAN routers, which made up 8% of devices certified. This was a considerable jump from 2020 and was largely due to operators supporting fixed 5G wireless access on their 5G networks, which drove up the demand for WLAN routers.

Currently, there’s still only a handful of 5G modules and WLAN routers available. We have slowly been seeing and hearing about more to come, such as the Pepwave MAX BR2 Pro 5G. For now, be sure to check out the 5G products you can get in your hands on tomorrow, including:

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