Tag: mid-band

The Factors Impacting Your 5G Bandwidth Speeds

The dawn of 5G promised lightning-fast internet speeds, heralding a new era of connectivity. However, the reality often falls short of these lofty expectations, leaving many users frustrated and wondering why their 5G speeds are not as blazing fast as advertised. Several factors can affect your 5G bandwidth speeds, ranging from technical limitations to network congestion. Let’s delve into some key points to understand what could be influencing your 5G experience.

Frequency Band(s) Your Modem or Phone is Connected To

One of the primary determinants of your 5G bandwidth speed is the frequency band your device is connected to. 5G operates across three main frequency bands: low, mid, and high. Each band has its advantages and limitations. Low-band 5G offers wider coverage but relatively modest speed enhancements compared to existing 4G LTE networks. Mid-band 5G strikes a balance between coverage and speed, providing faster speeds than low-band but with middling coverage. High-band, also known as mmWave, offers the highest speeds but suffers from limited coverage and poor penetration through obstacles. Therefore, your proximity to a cell tower and the band it employs can significantly impact your 5G speeds.

Limitations of Your Modem or Phone

The capabilities of your modem or phone play a crucial role in determining the speeds you can achieve. Different devices support different frequency bands, and their performance may vary accordingly. For instance, a device equipped with support for high-band frequencies will likely achieve faster speeds in areas where high-band 5G is available compared to a device limited to low-band frequencies. Upgrading to newer devices that support a wider range of frequency bands can potentially enhance your 5G experience.

User Load at the Cell Tower

Network congestion is another key factor that can affect 5G bandwidth speeds. If too many users are connected to the same cell tower simultaneously, it can lead to decreased speeds for everyone. During peak hours or in densely populated areas, the demand for bandwidth may exceed the capacity of the cell tower, resulting in slower speeds for users. Network operators are continuously expanding infrastructure and optimizing networks to mitigate congestion, but it remains a persistent challenge in densely populated areas.

Limitations on Your Data Plan

Even if your device and the network infrastructure are capable of delivering high-speed 5G connectivity, your data plan may impose limitations. Some data plans throttle speeds after reaching a certain threshold of data usage, while others prioritize certain types of traffic, such as video streaming or gaming, which can impact overall bandwidth speeds. Understanding the terms and conditions of your data plan and choosing an appropriate plan that aligns with your usage patterns is essential for maximizing your 5G experience.

The Speed of Your WiFi or Ethernet Adapter

Lastly, the speed of your WiFi or Ethernet adapter can affect the performance of your 5G connection, especially when using a home or office network. Even if you have a fast 5G connection, a slow WiFi router or Ethernet adapter can become a bottleneck, limiting the speeds you can achieve on your devices. Upgrading to newer networking equipment capable of handling higher speeds can help unleash the full potential of your 5G connection.

As you can see, achieving optimal 5G bandwidth speeds involves a combination of factors. This includes the frequency band your device is connected to, the capabilities of your device, network congestion, data plan limitations, and the speed of your networking equipment. By understanding these factors and taking appropriate measures, users can enhance their 5G experience and unlock the full potential of next-generation connectivity.

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5G and Telecommunications: How 5G is Reshaping the Industry

Technology continues to advance at an unprecedented pace. The emergence of 5G stands out as a pivotal moment in the evolution of connectivity and has fundamentally transformed the telecommunications industry in ways that would have been science fiction a few decades ago. This fifth-generation wireless technology has swiftly become a driving force behind a new era of communication, ushering in capabilities and possibilities that were once deemed beyond reach. Exploring the manifold ways in which 5G is revolutionizing the telecommunications sector unveils a landscape where speed, efficiency, and connectivity converge to redefine the boundaries of what is achievable in our increasingly interconnected world.

What is 5G Technology?

5G is the new global wireless standard. It delivers higher multi-Gbps peak data speeds, improving performance and network efficiency. With a theoretical peak speed of 20 Gbps (4G’s peak speed is only 1 Gbps, making 5G nearly 200 times faster), users will experience faster downloads, more responsive and reliable online experiences, and smoother streaming on devices. 5G consists of three types of frequencies: high-band, mid-band, and low-band. 

  1. High-band frequencies, such as millimeter wave (mmWave), offer greater bandwidths. This helps carry more data into dense, urban areas; however, these frequencies require nearby cell sites because of their limited ability to penetrate through buildings.
  2. Mid-band provides broader coverage than high-band and is less impacted by buildings.
  3. Low-band (such as the 600MHz spectrum) travels farther and can penetrate more obstacles.

Unprecedented Speeds and Low Latency

One of the key features of 5G is its remarkable speed and low latency. Latency describes the delay that occurs when a computer network processes data and information. With data transfer rates up to 100 times faster than its 4G predecessor, users can now download large files, stream high-definition videos, and engage in real-time applications quickly. This enhanced speed and reduced latency open up new possibilities for various industries, including healthcare, education, and entertainment.

Enabling Internet of Things (IoT)

5G is the linchpin for the widespread implementation of Internet of Things (IoT). IoT devices have software, sensors, and other technologies that allow them to connect with and exchange data with other devices and systems. 5G’s ability to connect a massive number of devices simultaneously with minimal latency makes it the ideal infrastructure for smart cities, autonomous vehicles, security systems, and various other IoT applications. From smart homes to industrial automation, 5G’s robust connectivity is laying the foundation for a more interconnected world.

Empowering Remote Work and Collaboration

The global shift toward remote work was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. 5G has been playing a pivotal role in enabling seamless communication and collaboration. With high-speed internet access and low latency, remote teams can engage in video conferencing, share large files, and collaborate on projects in real-time, enhancing productivity and efficiency.

Enhanced Mobile Experiences

The consumer experience has been elevated to new heights with 5G. Streaming high-quality content, immersive augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) applications are becoming more prevalent. These applications provide users with a more engaging and dynamic mobile experience. As 5G infrastructure continues to expand globally, these enhancements are becoming accessible to a broader audience.

Revolutionizing Healthcare

In the healthcare sector, 5G is proving to be a game-changer. The technology enables the rapid transmission of medical data, facilitating telemedicine and remote patient monitoring. Surgeons can perform remote surgeries with precision. Medical professionals can access and analyze patient data in real-time, leading to more efficient and responsive healthcare systems.

Infrastructure and Economic Impacts

The deployment of 5G networks requires significant infrastructure investments, stimulating economic growth and job creation. Governments and telecommunications companies worldwide are racing to build the necessary infrastructure to support 5G, creating a ripple effect in related industries such as manufacturing, construction, and technology development.

5G and Edge Computing

The synergy between 5G and edge computing is transforming the way data is processed and handled. By bringing computing power closer to the source of data generation, edge computing reduces latency even further, making it an integral component of the 5G ecosystem. This combination is paving the way for innovative applications, such as real-time analytics, autonomous systems, and responsive smart technologies.

Cybersecurity in the 5G Era

As 5G networks become more prevalent, the need for robust cybersecurity measures becomes paramount. The increased connectivity and the sheer volume of devices connected to the network create larger attack surfaces with vulnerabilities. Exploring the advancements in cybersecurity protocols and technologies becomes crucial to safeguarding sensitive data and ensuring the integrity of communications in the 5G era.

Future Trends and Innovations

The advent of 5G technology marks a pivotal moment, propelling the telecommunications industry into a future shaped by unprecedented connectivity. As we look ahead, the extraordinary speed, minimal latency, and expansive capabilities of 5G are poised to fuel an era of continual innovation and transformative trends. From evolving IoT to redefining healthcare and reshaping work dynamics, 5G is set to be a dynamic force inspiring novel applications and cutting-edge solutions.

Governments and industry leaders are on the cusp of ushering in a new wave of economic growth through extensive infrastructure investments, creating job opportunities and driving technological advancement. However, as we venture into this future, navigating challenges related to cybersecurity, data privacy, and sustainable energy consumption will be crucial. Embracing these future trends while addressing potential concerns will be the key to unlocking the full potential of 5G and ensuring its seamless integration into our evolving digital landscape.

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UScellular Expands 5G Network, Providing Faster and Stronger Connectivity

After acquiring the 3.45 GHz spectrum for 5G mid-band service, UScellular has finally launched this highly-anticipated network. The advancement introduces a range of benefits, including faster speeds and enhanced network strength. By leveraging UScellular’s 5G mid-band technology, users can experience speeds up to 10 times faster than the previous 4G LTE and low-band 5G networks. This cutting-edge technology boasts greater capacity, enriching the mobile experience and facilitating various business and fixed wireless applications. The company has been collaborating with industry leaders Nokia and Ericsson and is committed to a robust mid-band buildout.

The deployment of UScellular’s 5G mid-band network will initially cover parts of Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin, Maine, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington. By the end of this year, UScellular aims to extend coverage to over 1 million households within its operational footprint.

Mike Irizarry, the executive vice president and chief technology officer of UScellular, expressed the significance of mid-band technology, referring to it as the “sweet spot” of 5G. This technology provides widespread coverage, minimal latency, and fast speeds, enabling a greater number of people to connect seamlessly at home or on-the-go. Irizarry also emphasized the importance of mid-band technology in expanding UScellular’s High-Speed Internet service, with plans to serve 100,000 customers during the summer. UScellular prioritizes the expansion of this technology to more communities in the coming years.

The introduction of mid-band technology elevates the overall 5G coverage. It allows customers and businesses to enjoy even faster data connection speeds, resulting in an enhanced user experience. UScellular remains committed to expanding its device portfolio with mobile and fixed wireless products. This includes additional options for its High-Speed Internet product and a wider range of IoT devices.

UScellular now provides customers with access to low-band, mid-band, and high-band mmWave 5G speeds and services. The company anticipates that nearly 3 million households within its operational footprint will have access to 5G mid-band connectivity by the end of 2024.

For more news and information about USCellular, check out their newsroom.

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What Frequency Bands Does 5G Use?

If you’re in the market for a 5G cellular modem or router, you may want to consider its supported frequency bands. There are three types of 5G. Sub-6 (also called FR1) refers to low band frequencies below 6GHz, and mmWave (also called FR2) refers to frequencies over 24GHz. You also have mid band, or the C-band, which covers 4GHz to 8GHz. However, carriers are more focused on the range of 3.7 to 4.2GHz.

When 5G was initially rolled out, it used Sub-6 5G that stayed mainly below the 2GHz range. These frequencies were already used by 4G/LTE and even older 3G networks, so carriers had the necessary licenses to use them. This made it quick and easy for AT&T and T-Mobile to roll out 5G on top of their existing networks.

To this day, the most widely available 5G service in the U.S. is running on low band frequencies. Not only because it was the first service available, but because it covers the most distance. The downside is that in a lot of cases, the connection is only as good as LTE. 

C-band is the next best for 5G. While the distance it covers is not as much as Sub-6, it does offer a better 5G experience. In comparison, mmWave runs off the higher frequencies so it does not travel as far. This however, is the truest version of 5G with its significantly faster speeds, lower latency, and high reliability. 

Here’s a breakdown of the bands to look out for in the device specifications:

Sub-6/ 5G NR: n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n12, n20, n25, n28, n38, n40, n41, n46, n48, n66, n71, n77, n78, n79, n83

C-band: n77, n78, n79

mmWave: n257, n258, n259, n260, n261

Due to its availability, a majority of the 5G products we carry will only support Sub-6/ NR (New Radio) bands. There are a handful that will also support all C-band frequencies. To check those out, see below.

Should you be lucky enough to have mmWave coverage in your location, stay tuned for the Cradlepoint W4005. 

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Who Has the Best Mobile Network?

T-Mobile does it for the second year in a row – they’ve beat out Verizon and AT&T in recent tests performed by the PCMag team. They’ve been running these “Fastest Mobile Network” tests for the past 12 years and with this year came some changes. They opted for electric vehicles for the more than 10,000 mile drive across the country. They used new software that tracks dropped calls and provides a better measure of reliability. Also, while previous years were in search of America’s fastest mobile network, they are now on the search for the best network. 

Using the Samsung Galaxy S22+ phone, the team stopped in 30 cities and six rural regions where they compared performance between AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Of these 30 cities, T-Mobile won in 18, Verizon won in eight and AT&T won in four. According to the team, “We use people, not square miles, to determine our scores. Rural areas comprise 16% of our score, similar to the 14-20% of the US population classified as rural.”

The reason for using the Samsung Galaxy over other 5G phones? PCMag said, “We’re using the Samsung Galaxy S22+ because it has shown the best network performance in our tests. With its Qualcomm X65 modem, the S22+ can hold onto weak signals longer than phones from previous years, and it supports all the new 5G bands carriers are implementing, including the frequencies AT&T is launching later this year.”

Due to the new software used this time around, the results aren’t directly comparable to those from previous years. For example, both T-Mobile and Verizon see dramatically increased nationwide speeds this year as they expand their mid-band 5G networks. However, as AT&T’s speeds decline, it has added very little capacity while data demands grew.

Looking closer at those speed results, T-Mobile also won here, specifically in upload and download speeds. The carrier was the fastest in 19 cities out of 30, compared to Verizon with nine and AT&T with two. PCMag also reported that T-Mobile is performing better in rural areas, but explained that it still has more rural dead zones in the Northeast than Verizon and AT&T do.

So how exactly is it that T-Mobile was capable of these wins? Their mid-band 5G network. This is what the carrier built from Sprint’s network after acquiring the company for $26 billion in 2020. They’ve also begun using carrier aggregation within the mid-band network to achieve faster speeds. 

For Verizon and AT&T, they are still working on closing the gap by utilizing mid-band spectrum they obtained in a recent FCC auction. Verizon has already gotten started with its 5G network, but AT&T has been waiting for the equipment required to build it out. AT&T hopes to have more 5G network service up and running by next year.

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How T-Mobile is “Boosting” 5G Mid-Band Speeds

T-Mobile announced another 5G milestone on Tuesday. They are now combining three channels of mid-band spectrum on their 5G network. In tests the company achieved network speeds of 3Gbps. While they weren’t specific, T-Mobile said this technology will become available to customers “later this year.”

When we look at what’s possible with 3Gbps (or 3,000Mbps), it’s comparable to the speeds of mmWave. This is the high-band 5G, which has a limited range, but allows you to download a movie in seconds. Mid-band 5G speeds normally max out around 200Mbps. However, T-Mobile is making some adjustments within the network to boost those speeds significantly.

Technically speaking, T-Mobile is using carrier aggregation to combine different sections of spectrum. Carrier aggregation, as you may be used to it, is how LTE Advanced and 5G modems combine frequency bands to achieve more bandwidth speed. So, it has nothing to do with combining multiple “carriers” as T-Mobile is using only their owned spectrum. 

This also is not something new for the company, or the 5G world. T-Mobile is already using this technology to combine two 2.5GHz 5G channels on some parts of its network. This most recent test increased speeds by adding a third channel.

Verizon had also used the technology to demonstrate speeds of 4.2Gbps on its 5G network back in 2020. The difference, from T-Mobile’s point of view, is that they are the first to use three-carrier aggregation on a live, standalone 5G network with a commercially available device: the Samsung Galaxy S22. That being said, those with a Galaxy S22 on T-Mobile’s network will be “among the first” to have access to this faster type of 5G.

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T-Mobile Comes Out on Top of OpenSignal’s Latest Report

OpenSignal is known for its mobile analytics. Each year they release a few reports about the major cellular carriers’ networks. They take results gathered from millions of devices, which result in billions of measurements. The latest data gathered, which was collected between September and December of last year, shows T-Mobile is on top once again. 

Analysis was done in 43 states, as well as the capital of Washington, D.C., for each of the carriers strictly on their 5G network experience. The report covered: Availability, Reach, Games Experience, Voice App Experience, Download Speed and Upload Speed. 

T-Mobile was not the only winner though. Verizon also picked up the categories of Games Experience and Voice App Experience. Sadly, for AT&T, they didn’t win any categories, but still presented good results in comparison to its competitors. It’s no wonder given that T-Mobile has not had to deal with the issues surrounding C-Band that AT&T and Verizon have. This service was originally delayed, then limited to certain locations – all because of possible interference with aircraft tools that also work around the C-Band spectrum. 

While Verizon has the best user experience, T-Mobile dominates the speed categories. In fact, they’ve been at the top of the Download Speed category for six times in a row and Upload Speeds for the fifth time in a row. 

T-Mobile also won the Availability and Reach categories. It’s clear their lead on getting mid-band service out to 200 million users was a success. This is what they have dubbed their “Ultra Capacity 5G” service. It relies on the 2.5 Ghz band, so it is unaffected by the FAA concerns that have affected the C-Band. 

Now let’s take a closer look at how all the carriers fared in each category, at the National Analysis level. 

Note that each of the OpenSignal charts listed below have brackets at the end of their respective graphs. These brackets represent confidence intervals. Per OpenSignal, “For every metric we calculate statistical confidence intervals indicated on our graphs. When confidence intervals overlap, our measured results are too close to declare a winner. In those cases, we show a statistical draw. For this reason, some metrics have multiple operator winners. In our bar graphs we represent confidence intervals as boundaries on either sides of graph bars. In our supporting-metric charts we show confidence intervals as +/- numerical values.”

  1. 5G Availability

“Opensignal’s 5G Availability compares the amount of time 5G users spent with an active 5G connection — the higher the percentage, the more time that users on a network were actually connected to 5G.”

The brackets |-| represent confidence intervals.
  1. 5G Reach

“5G Reach represents the proportion of locations where 5G users have connected to 5G out of all the locations those users have visited, on a scale of 0-10. This measure complements our existing 5G Availability metric, which represents the proportion of time 5G users spent connected to 5G.”

The brackets |-| represent confidence intervals.
  1. 5G Games Experience

“Opensignal’s 5G Games Experience measures how mobile users experience real-time multiplayer mobile gaming on an operator’s 5G network. Measured on a scale of 0-100, it analyzes how the multiplayer mobile gaming experience is affected by mobile network conditions including latency, packet loss and jitter.”

The brackets |-| represent confidence intervals.
  1. 5G Voice App Experience

“Opensignal’s 5G Voice App Experience measures the quality of experience for over-the-top (OTT) voice services — mobile voice apps such as WhatsApp, Skype, Facebook Messenger etc. — when users are connected to a 5G network.”

The brackets |-| represent confidence intervals.
  1. 5G Download Speed

“T-Mobile’s 5G Download Speed continues on its upward trend as our users on the carrier now clock average speeds of 150 Mbps, up from 118.7 Mbps in the previous report. A year ago, using T-Mobile our users saw a 5G Download Speed score of 58.1 Mbps, but it has consistently increased since then due to T-Mobile’s ongoing deployment of 2.5 GHz spectrum. The carrier has been increasing both its population coverage, as well as the amount of spectrum deployed on that band.”

The brackets |-| represent confidence intervals.
  1. 5G Upload Speed

“T-Mobile keeps hold of the 5G Upload Speed award with a score of 17.9 Mbps, which is 1.8 Mbps faster than what our users observed in our October report. Verizon places second in 5G Upload Speed with a score of 14.1 Mbps, which represents a 0.3 Mbps decrease from our previous report, while AT&T’s score increased from 9.7 Mbps to 9.9 Mbps.”

The brackets |-| represent confidence intervals.

Analysis was also done at the regional level, which you’ll see outlined below.

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Testing Verizon C-Band in New York City

Verizon’s new 5G network is live and PCMag just tested it out in New York City. In summary, C-Band made their connections about 50% faster, once they were able to find the signal. They also noted less congestion on the network, which is likely due to it still being so new. 

Starting this past Wednesday, Verizon launched its new form of 5G in 46 cities. AT&T did also, but only in eight cities. 

While PCMag reports the Verizon service being noticeably improved, it didn’t measure up to T-Mobile’s citywide “5G Ultra Capacity”— at least, not yet. T-Mobile currently has the most coverage in New York City and the best performance also in comparison to its competitors. 

Looking at reports from other cities, it seems that may not be the same as in New York City. Per PCMag’s report, “Redditors are busy posting spectacular C-Band speeds, including 859Mbps down in Los Angeles, 586Mbps outside Pittsburgh, and 413Mbps in Indianapolis.”

In order to test the C-Band, the PCMag team used the new Ookla WIND software. This is a carrier-grade package that runs on altered Samsung Galaxy S21+ phones. WIND’s Pro version, which the company supplied for testing, shows all the details of frequency band use you could ever need. It also lets testers build complex setups with voice, data, text, and video tests.

Verizon’s C-Band was a little hard to find during the New York tests. They ended up being able to use C-Band only on sites in two cities – Forest Hills and Kew Gardens. In other locations like East Harlem, their phone had refused to connect to C-Band, despite Ookla having identified the location as having C-Band available. It’s possible that some connections are being blocked by the carrier, or perhaps something to do with technical interference.

PCMag also addressed the “exclusion zones” that carriers agreed to with the FAA. Some of the exclusion zones are around JFK and LaGuardia airports. These are some of the busiest airports among a part of the city that is populated by about 2.3 million people. This is the same case for areas like Chicago, Dallas, and San Diego. Folks here unfortunately don’t have the benefits of the new 5G because of interference risks with aircraft altimeters. 

Per Verizon, the exclusion zones are a rectangle 2 miles long extending from the end of each airport runway. In one case during the tests, they were unable to find C-Band in an arc spanning from 4 miles southeast to 3 miles southwest of the end of the LaGuardia runway. That area covers many of Queens’ densest neighborhoods. Unexpectedly, though, they found more millimeter-wave in the exclusion zone than they expected to. 

“While the super-fast, short-range technology didn’t blanket the area, it kept popping up here and there throughout Long Island City, Astoria, Sunnyside, and Elmhurst, giving a huge boost when I could find it,” the article reads. 

They continued, “I can’t tell if Verizon’s avoidance of neighborhoods closer to LaGuardia is about the exclusion zone, or just the vagaries of early network buildouts. But we can confirm that while there’s no C-Band coverage within 2 miles of the airport, there is definitely coverage between 3-4 miles away.”

So just how fast is 5G? 

PCMag’s tests shows the in most cases, the C-Band service was double the speeds of LTE. This is because 5G was made more efficient and spread across multiple airwaves, making it able to provide more speed with less congestion on the networks. 

The article explained this more technically. “C-Band roughly doubles the airwaves Verizon had available for use in our tests. In most of our tests, Verizon used 40-50MHz of 4G LTE spectrum. When its “nationwide” 5G was active, it added 10MHz of low-band 5G to that. C-Band trades out that 10Hz of low-band 5G for 60MHz of mid-band, resulting in 100-110MHz being used.”

In comparison to tests run with T-Mobile, Verizon was just a little less. T-Mobile generally used 40MHz of 4G LTE along with 80MHz of mid-band 5G, for a total of 120MHz.

Tests were split between the carriers’ 4G and 5G components. PCMag found that in T-Mobile’s tests, 75% of the speed came from 5G, while in Verizon’s tests, 45-55% came from 5G. They also noticed that for some unknown reason, “each megahertz of Verizon’s was slower than a megahertz of T-Mobile’s—something the bigger carrier is surely working on optimizing.”

They also discovered something rather odd. “A bunch of our C-Band results in Kew Gardens all congregated around 140Mbps down in a way that makes me think it was a configuration issue or cap, not the capability of the network.”

What about the reach of the C-Band service?

The tests performed by the PCMag team have already shown T-Mobile is faster than Verizon on their mid-band spectrums – T-Mobile at its 2.5GHz frequency and Verizon at the higher C-Band spectrum.   The real question now is, which carrier delivers more range? PCMag says, “But the fact is, urban networks in places like New York, Chicago, and Dallas are dense enough that the difference may not matter.”

The case in Queens, for example, Verizon’s network is so dense that sites don’t have to broadcast very high to be received. It’s the same for T-Mobile here, whose extremely dense network in Queens has sites that are often a quarter-mile from each other or less.

From their findings, PCMag believes the jury is still out in the battle of mid-band distance. Though it is clear that C-Band has enough reach so that carriers won’t need to put a site every few blocks. 

Do I need C-Band now?While C-Band is available now, it can only get better as Verizon continues to roll out service. “In many other cities, it appears to already be better; my experience in Queens looks like the low end of the C-Band experience,” said the author of the article. They added, “The C-Band boost will come primarily to places within half a mile to a mile of a Verizon cell site, so look up your location on cellmapper.net if you’re curious. It’ll also require a recent phone.”

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T-Mobile Wins Big in New Ookla Performance Study

T-Mobile is boasting about its 5G service again, with an announcement that it came out on top in a new Ookla study. This measured things like 5G speed, performance and availability. In the announcement, they added that it would be moving forward with turning on its 5G carrier aggregation (CA), both with 2.5 GHz and 2.5 Ghz combined with 600 MHz. 

Ookla’s nationwide network performance analysis had T-Mobile at the top of all 6 categories. These include: fastest provider, latency, consistency, 5G performance, 5G availability and 5G consistency. Considering the 5G coverage T-Mobile has had in place compared to its competitors, it’s not much surprise they ruled here. This is in part thanks to their ability to rollout coverage on mid-band spectrum that isn’t causing interference risks like the C-Band is for AT&T and Verizon. 

According to an article from FierceWireless, the mid-band spectrum they are using (2.5 GHz), which was acquired from Sprint, provides about 40% faster speeds. Currently, download speeds are running at a top average speed of 187 Mbps nationwide. According to T-Mobile, this is faster than most home WiFi connections, two times faster than Verizon 5G and over 2.5 times faster than AT&T 5G. More importantly, customers were more likely to connect to 5G than Verizon or AT&T customers. Again, this could simply be due to the delays both carriers have experienced with their 5G rollouts. 

With regards to the 5G carrier aggregation, this combines two channels of 2.5 GHz mid-band spectrum for greater speed and capacity. It’s much like bonding in this case, but happens within the one carrier’s network. This should allow for less congestion as there will be more service to go around. 

5G standards set the maximum bandwidth for a sub-6 GHz 5G channel at 100 MHz of spectrum. That is a lot of capacity, but with 5G CA, the operator is able to provide customers with more than 100 MHz of 2.5 GHz Ultra Capacity 5G spectrum, starting with 120 MHz in many places. So, customers in those areas will see a significant boost in speed and performance.

According to T-Mobile, tests have been completed that show 2.5 GHz 5G CA can improve speeds by about 20%. Also, devices reach speeds greater than 100 Mbps twice as often as those without 5G carrier aggregation. In addition, T-Mobile noted that it’s expanded NR CA with 2.5 GHz and 600 MHz to cities across the country.

“These capabilities are live across much of T-Mobile’s network today for customers with the Samsung Galaxy S21 and another popular flagship device, becoming more broadly available – with additional devices – in the coming months,” said a T-Mobile representative.

T-Mobile also highlighted results of record-breaking 5G upload speeds with 5G Dual Connectivity. The test was done by Ericsson and Qualcomm. They found T-Mobile exceeded 1 Gbps on upload – 1005 Mbps, to be precise – by combining 2.5 GHz spectrum with millimeter wave.

“Today’s wins confirm what over a dozen other studies have found in the last year: T-Mobile 5G is #1 in performance and/or coverage,” said T-Mobile President of Technology Neville Ray in a statement. “Our competitors bet on the wrong spectrum for 5G. Now, they’re years behind and scrambling to catch up. We’ll keep blazing ahead, reaching more and more people with Ultra Capacity 5G and spearheading new technologies. This is what you get when you combine the best damn 5G network with the hardest working team in the industry.”

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AT&T and Dish Network win big in latest 5G spectrum auction

As wireless carriers in the U.S. look to build out their 5G networks, they’ve partly looked to acquire mid-band spectrum through auctions held by the FCC. Most talked about has been the C-Band. This was acquired by AT&T and Verizon and has experienced serious delays due to possible interference with aircraft tools. However, another major auction just took place. This time for licenses of wireless spectrum that sits between the 2.5 gigahertz and 3.5 gigahertz range of radio frequencies. In comparison, it was smaller than the previous C-Band auction. 

This auction, for the 3.45 GHz spectrum, started back in October. It has finally come to an end with AT&T and Dish network as its big winners. AT&T spent $9.1 billion and Dish spent $7.3 billion. T-Mobile was the third-highest bidder in the auction, spending $2.9 billion. Verizon Communications did not participate in the auction, likely because of the millions (together with AT&T) already spent on the C-Band.  

Per the FCC this past Friday, the auction brought in more than $22.5 billion in total proceeds for the 5G wireless spectrum. Congress required a portion of the proceeds, which are going to be used to pay for new equipment. This is meant to ensure that existing military equipment can coexist with cell towers and other gear used by wireless carriers when they deploy 5G service. All other money from the auction will go to the US Treasury. 

Overall, AT&T is still coming in at the bottom when compared to T-Mobile and Verizon in 5G coverage, though that could change with the addition of this mid-band spectrum. These airwaves were once reserved for the military, but will soon be used for 5G wireless service, hopefully without any delays! The mid-band spectrum has the ability to connect more devices and offer real-time feedback, which is helping to advance things like self-driving cars and advanced augmented reality experiences. Mid-band spectrum provides more-balanced coverage and capacity due to its ability to cover a several-mile radius with 5G, despite needing more cell sites than lower-tiered spectrum bands. 

Even after all the mid-band coverage, there is still demand for more mobile services. Wireless carriers have all been asking for more airwaves to be made available. In response, the FCC has been working to repurpose spectrum from other industries, including TV and satellite broadcasters. They’ve also looked to commercial entities for spectrum and are coordinating with certain government agencies like the Defense Department, to provide commercial providers with more access to spectrum. 

In recent years, the wireless industry has dedicated more than $100 billion into acquiring these airwave licenses. The FCC is planning for even more auctions in the future.

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