Tag: UW

What Do 5G Symbols Mean on My Phone

In the past, we’ve discussed the technical factors surrounding 5G, such as frequency bands and the airwaves at which 5G operates (low, mid, and high). But what about the different terminology used by cellular providers and those 5G icons on your phone that indicate your cell phone’s signal strength? If you’ve wondered what those 5G, 5G Ultra Wideband, 5G Ultra Capacity, 5G Plus, and 5G C-Band symbols mean on your phone, you’re not alone. This is often a lot of confusion surrounding these 5G symbols. 5Gstore is here to explain exactly what they mean. Read on — this article will discuss the meaning behind 5G, 5GUW/UWB, 5GUC, and 5G C-Band symbols.

What is 5G?

When you hear 5G, you may think of the hype that surrounded its rollout in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Today, about 90% of America’s population has 5G available. Even if you’re in the 10% of the country that doesn’t yet offer 5G in your location, your smartphone is likely 5G-compatible and you have experienced 5G speeds in some capacity at a certain point.

The 5G signal strength is what providers like to call “5G Nationwide.” 5G is currently the most widely available service in America. Theoretically, 5G has the potential for 10 Gbps speeds; in reality 5G alone is similar to 4G LTE speeds. 5G service may provide you with enough speed to watch a high definition or 4K video; however, it may not be fast enough to handle multiple streams at the same time. 

What is 5G Ultra Wideband?

This is where 5G Ultra Wideband comes in. As Verizon’s highest-performing 5G, 5G Ultra Wideband (5G UW) can be up to 10x faster than 4G LTE. This makes it capable of handling multiple audio or video streams simultaneously. T-Mobile® and AT&T have similar 5G networks. T-Mobile calls this signal “Ultra Capacity,” or “5G UC.” AT&T calls it “5G Plus.”

What is C-Band?

You may also encounter “C-Band,” which is part of Verizon’s Ultra Wideband network. C-Band simply operates in a different section of 5G and is one of the newest types of 5G. It can be extremely fast and can support large amounts of data. C-Band is currently not widely available due to its limited range. 

5G Symbols

So what does that 5G symbol on your phone mean? 5G devices will display specific 5G icons connected to 5G Nationwide. These devices include those connected to Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile networks:

  • T-Mobile: T-Mobile’s Ultra Capacity network may display a “5G UC” symbol. A 5G icon without the “UC” indicates that you’re connected to a slower 5G network. This is what T-Mobile refers to as “Extended Range.” 
  • Verizon: Verizon will show 5G UW (or 5G UWB) when connected to 5G Ultra Wideband. C-Band does not have its own indicator, so it falls under 5G UW for Verizon (or 5G+ for AT&T). 
  • AT&T: AT&T icons may display “5GE,” which is actually 4G LTE. AT&T simply got creative with their advertising in 2020 and came out with “5G Evolution.” 5G Evolution is supposed to be faster than traditional LTE, but its speeds are not quite as fast as you might expect from 5G. Unfortunately, it still appears on some phones. 

What to Look For on Your Phone

Note that not all phones are alike. For that reason, how they display their network details might differ slightly. Take a look below at some common examples. 

5G: This is simply 5G service. This 5G icon applies to all providers.

5GE: 5G Evolution is 4G LTE on the AT&T network.

5G+: 5G Plus is AT&T’s faster 5G service, and includes C-Band.

5G UW/ UWB: 5G Ultra Wideband is Verizon’s fastest 5G service.

5G UC: 5G Ultra Capacity is T-Mobile’s fastest 5G service available.

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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.

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What is Verizon 5G Home Internet and 5G Business Internet?

After an exciting halftime show at the Super Bowl, Jim Carrey reprised his role in “The Cable Guy” to market Verizon’s new 5G Home and Business Internet solutions. The ad showcased how fast and easy the equipment was to set up as well as how it compares to traditional cable services. 

Today, Verizon is jumping back to their 5G expansion plans. They’ve already met their goal of 100 million users covered with 5G Ultra Wideband service and are capable of providing the Home and Business Internet solutions to 30 million households and more than 2 million businesses.

“We can’t wait for customers to experience our fast, reliable and secure internet options like our ultra-fast, ultra simple Home Internet, and we’ll continue to bring them to more and more places around the country, paving the path to becoming the top home Internet provider in America,” said Manon Brouillette, CEO of Verizon’s Consumer Group.

With 5G Home Internet, customers can be up and running with their computers, phones, tablets and any other network device, in a matter of minutes – whether they set it up themselves or have Verizon install it. They also have two options: 5G Home or 5G Home Plus. And, it’s 50 percent off for customers on one of Verizon’s new 5G Ultra Wideband Unlimited plans (only when you combine your plan with 5G Do More, 5G Play More or 5G Get More plan. Also requires Auto Pay and paper-free billing) There are no annual contracts, extra fees, data overages or equipment charges. The price is the price, guaranteed. Customers can even get the first month on Verizon.

5G Business Internet also offers customers great performance and reliability, with an easy setup, on all their devices. This solution can fit businesses of all sizes and includes self setup or professional installation options, multiple pricing and service options, unlimited data, and a 10-year price guarantee (applies to monthly access fee only).

Verizon’s wireless Internet solutions with fast, reliable and secure 5G Home Internet and 5G Business Internet are already available (or will be this week) in parts of Omaha, NE; Boise, ID; El Paso, TX; Grand Rapids, MI and Panama City, FL. 5G Home Internet will be available in parts of Baltimore, MD, next month.

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How Can 5G Change Your “Live” Sports Experience

Up until more recently, every sports fan would likely agree that the best way to watch live sports is in a loud stadium packed with other like minded fans. Due to the changes we’ve all had to face with the pandemic, it’s now more difficult to feel comfortable around thousands of strangers.

At-home tech is growing and making it more possible for fans to enjoy the same benefits from the safety of their couch. Fans aren’t only interested in watching the live games, but they are now looking more at real-time tracking of scores and stats. They may even be streaming multiple games at the same time. And what would make the experience even better? To be totally immersed within the game using augmented reality. This truly 21st century tech can now be made possible thanks to Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband service. 

5G Ultra Wideband is available in select areas right now, but Verizon is slowly rolling out more coverage. As Verizon continues to expand this service coverage and as 5G adoption increases, users will be able to experience a secure, reliable connection that offers great speeds, massive capacity and low latency. 

With the Big Game ready to go this weekend, and more fans feeling comfortable about getting together, 5G Ultra Wideband enables endless possibilities for a second-screen experience while attending live games. Moving forward, this could shape stadium operations in a way that makes navigating a crowded stadium more seamless.

5G Ultra Wideband in crowded stadiums

Assuming you’ve ever found yourself at a crowded event, you may have experienced times where your smartphone essentially stops providing a cellular signal, or you simply have no speed to do anything. You may be able to place a phone call, but forget about texts or social media posts, and especially don’t think about trying to stream any video. 

“At stadiums where you’re packing 70,000 or 80,000 people into a confined area, connectivity has been a challenge for years,” says Eric Nagy, director of sports partnerships and innovation at Verizon. “So when you look at 5G and its characteristics, it really fits in nicely when it comes to stadiums. When you are connected to 5G Ultra Wideband in such a crowded, tight area, you can still get outstanding performance and do things that those around you can’t.”

According to Verizon’s announcement, “5G Ultra Wideband’s high performance should transform not only stadiums but the operations of retail stores, restaurants and even cities. For an enterprise, it could create a safer factory floor and many other benefits.”

There’s several applications for in-person fans that are already showing great promise. Fans will be able to easily track statistics and win probability, pull up in-game stats on the game they’re attending or even stream additional games on their mobile device. It also opens the door to entirely new and innovative ways of experiencing the game.

Enter Verizon’s 5G Multi-View experience – “a dynamic, personalized mobile streaming experience, available in select stadiums, that allows fans to view seven camera angles at once, choose replays from any angle and stay connected to family and friends with a selfie cam.” On some 5G-enabled phones, the experience adds AR-overlays of stats like top plays and win probability.

There’s also some exciting features from the folks at ShotTracker, a Verizon Ventures portfolio company. They have built hardware that uses sensors on the ball, in spots around the field, and even on the players. This allows them to track activity in real-time and send that data back where coaches and players can review them. With access to live analytics, it can help players learn from mistakes and the coach at making quicker decisions on how to proceed. 

“Most dynamic of all may be the impact on the fan experience,” says Davyeon Ross, co-founder and president at ShotTracker. “Not only does live data-sharing enable broadcasters to show fans value-add diagrams like shot maps or up-to-the-second stats, but the future could be headed for an experience that fans can more easily personalize, both at the game and at home.” 

It’s easy to imagine the possibilities now with 5G. Having cameras on the players, ShotTracker’s technology, and a reliable 5G connection in place may one day allow us to view the game from that player’s perspective. 

“Our data is connected to the video, so we could make it so that if you’re home, you could configure it and say, ‘hey, I want to choose what view I want to see. I want a ‘Zion Cam’ or maybe I want this pylon view that’s available,’” Ross says, referring to cameras attached to an individual player or pylons around a stadium. “Historically, broadcasters have controlled what we see as consumers. I think the evolution of 5G is not only in-stadium, but outside of stadiums. It’s going to empower and amplify those solutions to allow a certain level of personalization that will come in the future.”

Evolving the fan experience

In the near future, 5G has the potential of completely revolutionizing the way fans experience “live” sports. As we’ve already seen with T-Mobile at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, one area that can greatly benefit are stadiums and their day to day operations. Imagine having the option to enter the game with ticketless, hands-free entry or quickly grab snacks, beverages or merchandise by paying with touchless sales options rather than using a card or smart device. In an effort to start that process, Verizon opened a 5G-powered store offering “grab and go” checkout at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on December 19th.

“I visited our ‘frictionless’ store in Miami,” says Nagy, “and I walked in and walked out within 30 seconds buying the merchandise that I needed.”

With regards to augmented reality, some ideas have been to show fans wait times – on bathroom lines, concession stands, or at the exit gates.  Other innovations have yet to be envisioned. And even with the progress, Nagy says Verizon will continue to take in fan input and shape the stadium experience moving forward. His team is studying, for instance, how fans interact with the Multi-View experience. 

“Is this something that you use when you’re going out for a break to grab a beverage and want to stay up to date with the game? Or is it something you’re going to use in your seat when you’re sitting 20 rows back from the field?” Nagy asks. “We’re exploring that right now, and we take a lot of feedback from fans.”

How Teams Can Improve with 5G Tech

Aside from the fan experience, 5G is making a profound impact on the sporting world. This was most recently displayed during the Phoenix Suns’ last season. The team and their coaching staff utilized Verizon 5G and advanced analytic tools, which helped the Suns reveal otherwise hidden insights. In use were 150 HD cameras, sensors, nodes and 3D force plates, all of which was to capture computer-aided motion analysis, player and ball tracking, and shot tracking. It then leveraged 5G Ultra Wideband connectivity to tie it all together into a single integrated system.

It’s not just basketball either. Teams across almost every sport have started to integrate some type of 5G technology. Nagy says a recent use case with the NHL allowed for testers to point their 5G device, using an AR app running on Verizon’s 5G Edge with AWS wavelength, at any player on the ice and see real-time stats overlaid in AR, such as player speed, time on ice and historical stats.

“There could be a world where you have models written so you can detect certain defenses, and then you could get suggestions on what you do to counteract that,” Nagy says. “Could that be the future? I don’t know. I think the key is that the technology and 5G will help enable that.

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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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