Tag: Verizon

Saying Farewell to BlueJeans: Verizon’s Video Collaboration Service

Verizon Wireless just sent out a note alerting users of BlueJeans, a video collaboration service, that it will no longer be supported.

Here’s What You Need to Know:

  • Service Termination Date: Your BlueJeans service will officially come to an end on December 31, 2023. Until then, you can continue to utilize the service for your virtual meetings and collaborations.
  • Early Termination Option: If you prefer to transition away from BlueJeans before the end of the year, you have the option to terminate your service sooner. To do this, simply access your account in Verizon My Business. Alternatively, you can reach out to Verizon’s dedicated Customer Support team at 800.922.0204 for assistance with making the necessary service changes.
  • Exploring Alternatives: Verizon understands that the right communication tools are essential for your business. In light of this change, they will be sending you a follow-up communication with information about alternative meeting options that may be suitable for your needs.
  • Bundled Services: If BlueJeans is currently bundled with other Verizon services you are utilizing, rest assured that those additional services will remain unaffected. Any discounts or promotional rates you’re enjoying on those services will continue even after your BlueJeans service is terminated.
  • Download Your Recordings: If you have any important recordings stored on the BlueJeans platform, they recommend that you download them prior to the service termination date. After this date, in accordance with the BlueJeans privacy policy, your content will be deleted.
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Cutting the Cable – Switching from Cable Internet to Cellular 5G

90 Days in: An Update

After about 90 days of living off 5G Internet service, I am more than pleased with the experience. Have I had any issues? I’d be lying if I said no, but thankfully they’ve been minor. Things like buffering video and choppy audio on voice over IP (VoIP) calls. Regardless of those issues, I was able to use over 500GB of data in June and just over 1TB in July (unfortunately, my May usage was lost). 

I found that my issues were mainly noticeable for my work purposes. This includes real time video meetings and VoIP calls. The buffering I experienced was typically while trying to stream movies during my personal time, which was acceptable. However, I wanted to look for ways to possibly improve those issues. 

When I first installed the 5G service, I simply used the antennas that came with the router. These provided a decent signal and okay quality. Leaning on my experience here with 5Gstore.com, I know that signals tend to improve when there are less obstructions. This means getting the antennas outside and higher up in elevation. The best way to accomplish this is with an outdoor antenna. 

I decided to install an outdoor directional antenna as they are generally more powerful than omnidirectional antennas. They are also focused in a specific direction so you can test and compare results from multiple cell towers (if applicable). This may result in not only better signal, but better quality if there’s less interference in one direction. With less interference, the speeds can normally increase too. 

Since installing the directional antenna, my connection has noticeably been more consistent. That’s with a slight change in frequency band connection and small to large increase in signal and quality (depending on the band). 

The speeds have usually been around 130-160 Mbps down and 13-17 Mbps up with approximately 30-40ms ping times. It would seem that a more consistent connection allows for more usage, which might explain the jump seen on my network between June and July.

Original article, published 5/23/2023:

For years, if you could get your hands on it, cable was the go-to option for both TV and Internet. However, in more recent years, 4G/5G Internet has been a game changer in the world of home entertainment and remote work. “Cutting the cable” might be something you’ve heard a lot recently, especially if you’re subjected to any commercials on live TV or the radio. Making the switch from cable to 4G or 5G Internet can save you money and headaches from outages or overall unsatisfactory service – or so they say. Can it really? I’m here to answer that question, at least based on my own experience with Comcast/ Xfinity. However, this article applies if you are wanting to leave COX or Spectrum.

A Little Background

I’ve been using Comcast/ Xfinity cable for TV and Internet pretty much since it became available. The ease of accessibility was something I quickly grew accustomed to. As time went on, the Internet speeds got faster and more channels were added to the TV lineup. I was addicted on all accounts. Although catching new episodes of my favorite shows was always a struggle. 

Eventually, I grew up and became an adult living in a world of endless entertainment and high speed Internet. I got married to a man just as interested in TV and film as I was. Neither of us had ever lived without cable so it was natural we got cable for TV and Internet when we bought a house. At that time, we marveled at all the content available and felt fortunate to have such high speed internet when so many others do not. 

Having this cable connection allowed me to start working from home almost 12 years ago. I was convinced cable was the best and most reliable connection to have for this purpose. So here we are, two people and a bunch of connected devices with download speeds of up to about 250 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 15 Mbps. This is way more than we ever needed for personal or work use. Still, I believed I had no other choice for a reliable Internet service, especially because my husband and I thought we needed cable TV. After all, the overall cost for TV and Internet was only slightly higher than Internet by itself. 

Working for 5Gstore.com

After some time working from home, I was provided a cellular modem to use as a backup Internet connection. This was a modem that 5Gstore (previously 3G store) both sold and supported, so it helped me on a few levels. I found the connection to be sufficient for my work use, but couldn’t imagine trying to live off that for personal use. I liked to download a lot of audio and video content as well as play games online, which all required more bandwidth speed than I saw a 3G service could provide. 

Gradually, the 4G/5G services started to improve and I could see the capabilities were growing. However, from working with customers who were solely working on cellular, I discovered that it still would not seem adequate for my personal use. Mainly because of the amount of data I would need to use for both work and personal use. From what I could see on our cable usage, we were using anywhere from about 60 GB to 900 GB. We definitely needed an unlimited data plan.

Making the Decision to Switch from Cable to 5G

Over just the past year, there have been multiple choices for Internet service and video content available to me. It was important that I have something reliable and as consistent as possible with its bandwidth speeds. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anything better than my cable connection and I gave up pretty quickly. 

More time passed and both my husband and I found ourselves watching less and less cable TV and more content on streaming services. Nothing interested us on cable. Or, the content that was on could easily be accessed later without commercials. So why would we bother watching it live?

When 5Gstore announced their 5G unlimited data plan with no overages or throttling, I jumped at the chance to check my service. I live just outside of Chicago, which is thankfully in a coverage area. This changed my outlook on everything. I already knew that I could work off 3G and 4G cellular service. I also had been seeing and hearing reports of over 100 Mbps download speeds and higher, which I knew would be sufficient for my personal use. I was on board to at least test it out. As an added bonus, I had a chance to finally use the Peplink MAX BR1 Pro 5G!

The Transition from Cable to 5G

Coming from a household that has had cable Internet and TV for decades, it was a little strange to consider canceling. After all, I was technically sacrificing some bandwidth speed as well as all the channels and on demand video content our TV plan had to offer. I decided to keep both plans in place for a month. The goal was to perform comparison testing during this time. Though I also still wanted access to the cable in case the cellular became unusable. This would hopefully provide a smoother transition, while allowing my husband and I to see if we could live without cable.  

The first part of the process was checking my address for service. This was done in a matter of minutes since it was during the work day. Next, placing an order from 5Gstore.com. This was simple and an even faster step. Not just because I work for the company, but because I took the same steps that any customer would take.   

In my case, I started using the 5G unlimited data plan. This is considered a Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) type of Internet connection that requires address verification because of limited tower availability.  It operates directly off the Verizon cellular network and can connect to C-Band frequencies, which can provide faster, more reliable speeds. 

Overall, this was a smooth transition. Sure, my experience in this business helps, but this is something that anyone can do. Just let the 5Gstore sales team assist you with selecting the appropriate data plan and 4G/5G router or modem first. Once you’ve got your hands on the SIM card and hardware, the installation is quick and easy. In fact, you could be set up and ready to go in a matter of minutes. 

My Experience Living and Working on 5G

The Peplink MAX BR1 Pro 5G swapped in for the cable modem nicely. I found a great location in my home where I was able to get a decent 4 bar, or roughly -96 dBm to -113dBm RSRP. I was able to get a consistent 5G signal on the C-Band (5G band n77) along with a signal over 3 additional 5G and 4G LTE bands. This was achieved with the Peplink and its stock, paddle style antennas. 

My current work involves uploading and downloading lots of files. Even with the roughly 100 Mbps slower download speeds, I did not see much difference when downloading over cable versus 5G. The upload speeds from 5G were actually quite comparable to cable. Typically, upload speeds were around 10 to 13 Mbps so uploading files was barely noticeable in comparison to uploading over cable.  

Occasionally, I am on the phone using VoIP service or on a video meeting. I would say that 99% of the time, my experience is excellent. The other 1%, the audio on a phone call will cut out for a moment and then return. For the most part, video meetings were just as fantastic. In some cases, it even appeared to be better than what I saw over cable. 

When I use streaming services for TV and movies, I normally try to watch in 4K when possible. I was surprised that there were no issues with this. Then again, the download speeds are still way higher than my husband and I need. In comparison to the roughly 250 Mbps from cable, I normally received between 120 Mbps and 170 Mbps. That all being said, it would be difficult for me to tell the difference from cable. This was a pleasant surprise.

Regarding my data usage I gathered information over a complete month of testing (April 1st to April 30th). My usage totalled about 741 GB. Of that, my work PC used 121 GB and my work phone used 532 MB.

On a side note, this 5G unlimited plan, and a 4G LTE plan that 5Gstore offers, come with a static IP address. I found this extremely useful for setting up a VPN connection between my router and a colleague’s for easy access to devices on my LAN. I could also see it helpful if I wanted to access my personal files remotely when on vacation. Naturally, there are pros and cons to everything. So, while it proved to be helpful for my business use, it was otherwise frustrating for personal use. How could that be? Well, in order for a static IP address to work in this case, it had to be routed through a connection in Nebraska before reaching me in Illinois. This caused my devices without GPS capability (everything but our cell phones) to think they were in Omaha rather than Chicago. 

Why was this frustrating? All the commercials and local television access I had through streaming services like Amazon Prime, Hulu and Paramount+ were showing me content from Omaha and there was no option to change this to Chicago. Once the static IP address was removed from the line of service, it fixed the issue and all local content started coming from Chicago. Keep this in mind if you plan on purchasing a 5Gstore.com data plan for home use. Simply request we do NOT include the static IP when checking out and we’ll ensure it’s not included. 

Final Thoughts

Without cable service, I’m saving a little over $100. Not only is the 5G data plan cheaper, but there’s no hardware fees for renting hardware. You own the hardware and the SIM card is a one time fee. There’s no activation fees either like there are with some 4G/5G services. These savings even include the cost of streaming services. Those services are currently Amazon Prime, Disney+, Netflix, and Paramount+ with Showtime. 

So, is it worth it? I’d say yes! Whether you have COX, Spectrum, Charter, or Xfinity like me, it’s definitely worth the switch. Not only have I had 24/7 service, but my speeds have been pretty consistent and more than adequate for my usage. They’ve also been comparable to cable. The great thing about the data plan, aside from being so much less expensive, is that there’s no contract. We pay month to month and can cancel any time. Should I ever need to renew the service [after canceling] I would just purchase a new SIM card and data plan for my router.  

If you’re considering making the switch, it’s worth doing your research to find a provider like Verizon or T-Mobile, along with a plan that works for your needs. Check your coverage first and see if our 5G Unlimited data plan is available in your area. If this is not available, see what other types of data plans are offered and verify if they will work with the amount of usage you and any others may require. Check with the team at 5Gstore.com to see what hardware and data plan may be the best solution for your needs. With the right setup, you may find that cutting the cable is the best decision you ever made.

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What is Network Slicing and How is Verizon Using it with 5G?

[VERIZON WIRELESS] SYRACUSE, NY – Verizon recently established connections and passed data over multiple network slices in a completely commercial 5G environment. Network slicing allows customers to send their traffic over virtual end-to-end networks tailored to specific application requirements, while optimizing network performance to support all services. This capability, designed for network traffic on Verizon’s new cloud-native, containerized, virtualized standalone 5G core, will offer unprecedented levels of service agility, flexibility, and automated scalability.

“Matching network performance characteristics to specific application requirements, network slicing promises differentiated customer experiences to efficiently provide our customers with the type of service they need to complete the task they want to complete on our network and provide them an exceptional experience,” said Adam Koeppe, Senior Vice President of Technology Planning at Verizon.

The recent demonstration successfully registered a 5G smartphone to multiple network slices and passed data through the entire network. The demonstration used a commercially available smartphone, virtualized and non-virtualized RAN equipment in production in the field, and Verizon’s multi-vendor 5G standalone core. This end-to-end test successfully accessed network slicing capabilities from the device and validated the ability for the device chipset, operating system, application, radio network base station, and the core of the network to work in harmony to demonstrate a full end-to-end path for data to travel on a virtual network slice. Network slicing will be made available with the evolution of Verizon’s 5G standalone core. In order to take advantage of this network functionality, customers must have 5G network slicing capable devices.

What is network slicing?

This unique 5G capability uses a virtualized network infrastructure to dynamically match network performance characteristics to specific application requirements, while optimizing the network performance to support all services. The advanced capabilities, high speed, increased bandwidth, and low latency of 5G is inspiring development of a wide variety of new use cases that include everything from massive numbers of IoT devices that use very few network resources, to smartphone applications that use data in countless ways, to more complex solutions such as gaming, AR/VR and mixed reality that will require massive computing capabilities and low latency on the edge of the network. Those solutions would each benefit from different combinations of network capabilities. The 5G standalone core’s cloud-native virtualized applications, in combination with built-in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), will enable the dynamic allocation of the appropriate resources, referred to as network slicing. It will also allow for automated network configuration changes, including the ability to scale up or scale down network function capacity in real time – to provide the right service levels and network resources needed for each use case.

For example, utility company smart readers use very little bandwidth, are not latency sensitive, and do not need mobility routing functions as they are in a fixed position attached to homes and do not move. This use case would require fewer network resources. Alternatively, massive multi-player online gaming in a mobile environment would benefit from certain upload and download speeds and low latency to work effectively and provide players an immersive experience on a mobile device. In each case, using network slicing, Verizon would be able to better match network performance to application requirements. In short, dynamic network resource provisioning allows the network to dynamically support the experience a customer should get for the applications they are using and efficiently provide that specific service level when resources are available.

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Verizon’s 5G Innovation Sessions Returns in New York City

Verizon Business is bringing back its highly anticipated 5G Innovation Sessions tour to New York City on June 7. The event will take place at ASPIRE New York, located at One World Observatory in the World Trade Center. Partnering with Ericsson, Verizon will showcase the immense power of 5G through captivating demonstrations of forward-thinking use cases, including the latest Verizon Frontline solutions tailored for first responders.

The event will be a gathering of industry leaders and product experts, featuring presentations, panels, and interactive displays. Prominent organizations such as PepsiCo, the National Hockey League, the City of New York, and the National Football League will participate alongside Verizon Business and Ericsson.

Kyle Malady, the CEO of Verizon Business, emphasized the critical role of connectivity in all aspects of our lives, both personal and professional. He highlighted the necessity of a high-speed, reliable network for businesses to thrive and grow. The 5G Innovation Sessions will be a showcase of Verizon Business’s capabilities, with the exciting aspect being that most of the solutions demonstrated are already available and being utilized by businesses worldwide.

Among the featured innovations will be 5G Edge Accelerated Access, 5G Edge Cashierless Checkout, 5G Edge Aerial Inspections, 5G Business Internet, Robotic Dog, Private 5G, and a Rapid Response Connectivity Unit.

Verizon’s Relationship with New York City

Verizon’s commitment to New York City extends beyond this event. Over the past decade, through nonprofit partnerships and various programs, Verizon Innovative Learning has dedicated $1 billion in market value to support digital equity and inclusion in education, specifically targeting vulnerable populations across the United States. This initiative has reached over 3 million students, including those in Title I schools.

In New York City alone, the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools program has impacted more than 26,000 students across 29 schools. This academic year, nearly 4,000 new students within the New York City Department of Education have been equipped with free technology, internet access, and innovative STEM learning programs. Additionally, educators across the country can access Verizon Innovative Learning HQ, a free online education portal offering XR content, professional development, and lesson plans.

Verizon also offers free personalized online resources through Verizon Small Business Digital Ready. Designed to help small business owners grow their ventures, the program includes workshops, one-on-one coaching, networking events, and mentorship opportunities with industry experts. Since its launch in September 2021, over 4,000 NYC-based businesses have engaged with the program.

Through its responsible business plan, Citizen Verizon, the company aims to provide digital skills training to 10 million youths by 2030 and support 1 million small businesses with the resources needed to thrive in the digital economy.

Verizon Supports First Responders

Verizon has been steadfast in its support of New York’s first responders. In 2022, the Verizon Frontline Crisis Response Team deployed multiple times to provide mission-critical communications capabilities to public safety agencies. These deployments included various Verizon Frontline devices and solutions such as mobile hotspots, routers, smart devices, drones, and deployable satellite solutions. The support continues in 2023, with the team participating in public safety operations and training events alongside New York public safety agencies, all at no cost to local agencies. This ongoing commitment reflects Verizon Frontline’s dedication to investing in innovation in partnership with public safety and government entities.

Verizon Gives New Yorkers Control

Verizon also puts New Yorkers in control of their personal plans with a reliable 5G network. Customers now have the freedom to design their plans according to their needs and change them anytime with myPlan. This customizable and personalized phone plan provides flexibility without compromise, giving customers complete control over their network, perks, and savings. To learn more about Verizon’s customizable plans, visit their website, local retail stores, or use the My Verizon app.

Future Events

The 5G Innovation Sessions are an integral part of Verizon’s efforts to drive technological advancement. Following the New York event, the tour will continue to San Francisco in August, Washington, D.C. in September, Los Angeles in October, and conclude in Dallas in December. Each session will cover a range of themes, including Managed Venue, Fixed Wireless Access, Private 5G, and Mobile Edge Compute.

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What Data Plans are Available at 5Gstore?

Are you looking for an affordable cellular data plan for your failover or primary Internet service? 5Gstore.com is currently offering 4 different data plans, all with one of the nation’s biggest cellular providers, Verizon Wireless. These data plans will accommodate users needing either 4G LTE or 5G service. Here’s a breakdown of each plan:

  • 4G LTE Failover plan
    • $10/mo (includes 1GB)
    • $10 Per Additional GB
    • For fixed or mobile use
  • 4G LTE Failover plan with Static IP address
    • $12/mo (includes 1GB)
    • $10 Per Additional GB
    • For fixed or mobile use
  • 5G Unlimited with Static IP address
  • 4G LTE Standard plan with Static IP
    • $84.99/mo (includes 300GB)
    • $10 Per Additional 5GB
    • For fixed or mobile use

You might be asking why the 5G plan requires address verification while the others do not. This is because the 5G service is limited to fixed wireless access (FWA). This 5G service includes access to Verizon’s C-Band frequencies, which provide some of the fastest bandwidth speeds. The speeds at this time will generally be around 100-150 Mbps down and 10-15 Mbps up. 

Verizon is also only allowing a certain number of 5G Unlimited plans to be sold per cell tower. Once each of the 5G “nodes” are sold, they cannot sell any more. With this being a first come, first served situation, it’s best if you act quickly! 

But what if your address is not currently in a 5G C-Band area (also called Ultra Wideband)? Not to worry! All you need to do is wait. After you submit your address once, we will continue to check periodically for coverage. Only after we receive confirmation that there is coverage, will we contact you to let you know. 

Not interested in a 5G plan? Take a look at our 4G LTE plans instead. Keep in mind that there is limited data usage included and overage fees. If you’re not sure how much data you will need, follow our guide for assistance and check out our data usage calculator as well.  

How about a static IP address? Do you need one? How might a static IP help you? There are of course pros and cons to everything, including static IP addresses. Find out more about static IPs before you decide.

If you’re still uncertain about what data plan you require, contact the experts at 5Gstore.com for assistance. We’re available Monday thru Friday, 9am to 6pm CT via phone, email, or chat!

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Will US Wireless Carriers’ Voluntary Commitments Address Aviation Safety Concerns for 5G Use?

Four major US wireless carriers have recently made voluntary commitments to address aviation safety concerns and allow full use of the C-Band wireless spectrum for 5G use. Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile US, and UScellular submitted a letter to the Federal Communications Commissions (FCC) outlining their voluntary commitments to support full-power deployments across C-Band while minimizing the operational impact on their C-Band operations.

The FAA had previously expressed concerns that 5G service could interfere with airplane altimeters, which provide critical data on a plane’s height above the ground and are essential for safe landing during bad weather. This had led to brief disruptions at some US airports last year, prompting the voluntary commitments by the wireless carriers.

Verizon and AT&T had already agreed to delay some C-Band 5G usage until July last year, while T-Mobile and UScellular had not begun deployment at the time of the agreement. The latest voluntary commitments are seen as a major step forward and will allow carriers to increase power levels to get to full C-Band use.

The voluntary commitments made by the wireless carriers could last until 2028, according to sources briefed on the matter. The FAA had initially sought to extend some through up to 2033. The FCC has not yet commented on the matter, while the FAA said it continues to work closely to ensure a safe co-existence in the US 5G C-band environment.

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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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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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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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Is 5G Still Causing Issues for the FAA?

The ongoing debate over whether 5G causes issues with airplane equipment continues to be discussed and has reached another compromise. While cellular carriers want airlines to have to bring their equipment up-to-date, an aviation body argues that the current restrictions be made permanent.

The Problem

As satellite TV began to take a dive in the number of users, several frequencies were freed up for alternative use. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) controls who gets to use what frequencies. They ultimately decided that these frequencies were suitable for 5G use so the rights to use them were auctioned off. Verizon and AT&T jumped on the chance to expand their 5G networks and acquired what is called 5G C-Band. 

Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), was apparently unaware of this auction. They discovered there was a risk of 5G C-band spectrum interfering with radio altimeters. This is the tool that essentially allows the airplane pilot to determine the altitude of the plane. It is always helpful to the pilot, but even more so in conditions of poor visibility. 

Surprisingly, the FAA had been talking about their concerns surrounding the potential risks of C-band interference since 2015. However, the agency didn’t directly communicate these to the FCC until it was too late.

Moving Forward

After several arguments between the two agencies, it’s still unclear as to whether the radio altimeters are truly at risk – there has been limited evidence. Still, delays were put in place to push out deployment, as well as restrictions at and around certain airports.  

An agreement was also made that gave the aviation industry until July 2023 to check their older aircraft. They would update radio altimeters as needed. Since that agreement, the deadline has again been pushed back, this time to February 2024. 

This past October, the aviation industry said that the temporary restrictions weren’t doing anyone any harm. They added that the costs of fixing the issue was expensive. So, it was argued that the power limitations be made permanent. The FAA rejected this. Instead, they decided to give airlines more time. Arstechnica reported the following: 

Today, the FAA proposed a deadline of February 1, 2024, to replace or retrofit faulty altimeters, which are used by airplanes to measure altitude.

Out of 7,993 airplanes on the US registry, the FAA said it “estimates that approximately 180 airplanes would require radio altimeter replacement and 820 airplanes would require the addition of radio altimeter filters to comply with the proposed modification requirement.” The total estimated cost of compliance is $26 million […]

“Some radio altimeters may already demonstrate tolerance to the 5G C-Band emissions without modification,” the FAA said. “Some may need to install filters between the radio altimeter and antenna to increase a radio altimeter’s tolerance. For others, the addition of a filter will not be sufficient to address interference susceptibility; therefore, the radio altimeter will need to be replaced with an upgraded radio altimeter.”

Another suggestion was also rejected by the FAA. The problem was only that affected radio altimeters reported a fault, but still functioned properly. So, they suggested that pilots simply be advised not to be concerned by the alerts at known problem spots. The FAA stated that this risked air crews becoming desensitized to system warnings, which “can lead to a catastrophic event.”

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