5G vs. 4G | Differences in Speed, Latency, and Coverage Explained

The fifth generation of mobile networking is inching closer by the day — and despite the ongoing pandemic and the recent (completely unsubstantiated) health rumors circulating about 5G masts, the new cellular network is already bringing with it faster speeds, wider coverage, and a long-awaited end to congestion and latency issues, at least for some. With the rise in remote working in 2020, the rollout of 5G may come faster than we’d anticipated as more activities move online. Already, carriers like Verizon and T-Mobile are rolling out 5G across major cities like Chicago, Houston, and New York, but if you live in a rural area, or even in the suburbs, you may need to wait a while longer before you can take advantage of 5G.

There’s no doubt that 5G will revolutionize the way we use our phones. But is it really worth upgrading your 4G phone? It’s time to find out what you need to know about 5G technology and see if it’s really everything it’s cracked up to be.

5G vs. 4G: Speed

We’ve looked at how fast 5G is before, but there isn’t a specific speed we can expect. Instead, think of 5G as offering a speed range and the actual speeds you get will depend on what network you’re connecting to, how busy it is, what device you’re using, and a few other factors. This table gives you a rough idea of the maximum speeds of each generation of cell network technology and the average speeds in the real world.

The topic is complicated by the variety of different technologies that are used in each generation, geographical differences in coverage, and by the fact that the technology continues to evolve and improve over time. For example, 4G has improved significantly over its lifetime with the development of LTE (Long-Term Evolution) and then LTE-A (Long-Term Evolution Advanced). You can theoretically get up to 1Gbps with the latest 4G LTE-A developments, which is the lower end of what 5G hopes to deliver. The average speeds you get in the real world will inevitably be much lower.

To put that speed into some kind of context, 1Gbps (gigabits per second) is 1,000Mbps (megabits per second). Confusingly, megabits are different from megabytes — there are 8 megabits (Mb) in a megabyte (MB). So, 1Gbps translates to 125MB per second. An MP3 file might be 5MB, while a TV episode might be 350MB, and a Blu-Ray movie will be 15GB (15,000MB) or more. If you actually have a 1Gbps connection, you could potentially download a Blu-Ray Full HD quality movie in two minutes.

While 4G is still improving, what you get is, realistically, somewhere between 10Mbps and 50Mbps. If we look at Netflix recommendations for streaming speeds, it recommends 25Mbps for Ultra HD quality. You only need 5Mbps for HD. The aim with 5G is to hit 50Mbps as an average minimum. It’s always nice to have faster speeds, but that’s not really the big attraction with 5G because 4G speeds are already pretty good. What 4G is not good with is latency.

5G vs. 4G: Latency

Latency is the time it takes for data from your device to be uploaded and reach its target. It measures the time it takes for data to go from source to destination in milliseconds (ms). It’s very important for applications like gaming, where response time can have an impact on the outcome. It could also prove vital for self-driving cars if data is being transmitted to the cloud, and quick decisions can trigger a reaction to brake or avoid an obstacle in real-time.

With 4G networks, you’re looking at an average latency of around 50ms. That could drop to 1ms with 5G technology. Just to give that some context, it takes at least 10ms for an image seen by the human eye to be processed by the brain. Low latency is vital for real-time reactions in machines or cars and it could also make cloud gaming possible. Gamers could play via their phones on remote hardware, as services like Google’s Stadia and Shadow are suggesting. 1ms is what you can aspire to, as it’s what’s possible in near-perfect scenarios. The average latency you can expect on 5G will likely be around 10ms.

Improvements in latency could prove to be the real driver of 5G adoption, but there are many challenges ahead.

5G vs. 4G: Coverage

It has taken years for 4G networks to spread across the world, and there are still plenty of rural areas relying on 3G networks. Even where there is 4G coverage, the speeds vary quite widely. We expect rollout of 5G networks to take a while. We also expect the rollout will follow a similar pattern to 4G, with cities being the first to benefit. We tried out Verizon’s 5G network in Chicago, but it only covers a handful of spots right now, as well as parts of Los Angeles, Houston, Sacramento, and Indianapolis.

Verizon is employing millimeter wave (mmWave) technology, which requires the deployment of a large number of 5G nodes because those particular signals have a very short range and are easily blocked by walls — with the trade-off that they offer faster speeds. AT&T is also planning to use mmWave technology, as is T-Mobile (following its merger with Sprint earlier this year), who became the first carrier to create a nationwide U.S. 5G network, available in around 5,000 cities and towns, as well as many rural locations. T-Mobile is connecting around 1,000 5G sites a month, with their mid-band (2.5GHz) 5G currently available in 210 cities and towns across the U.S.

Despite the pandemic, progress in building 5G networks doesn’t show any signs of slowing, and it’s expected dozens more cities and towns will be connected by the end of the year. However, logistically there’s a lot of work to be done to build 5G networks, and it will likely take years before it’s accessible to everyone.

Other differences between 5G and 4G

For us to take advantage of 5G, we don’t just need carriers to put network equipment in place, we also need to buy devices, like the Motorola Edge Plus (exclusive to Verizon), that are capable of supporting 5G. If you’ve picked up one of the latest 5G handsets, you may be able to enjoy 5G speeds, depending on where you live — but if your phone is older, you’ll need to consider upgrading if you want these faster speeds. The first batch of 5G smartphones is here, and there are already some great choices available, like the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G or the OnePlus 8 Pro. It’s also worth noting that 5G is likely to be much more demanding in terms of power, and so battery life, which is already an issue for many, could be about to get worse.

5G doesn’t mean 4G is done

Many of us still rely on 3G when 4G isn’t available and that’s exactly what will happen with 5G. The idea that 5G is a direct replacement for 4G is erroneous. In fact, it’s a complementary technology. With the two working in concert, we should be able to get good speeds wherever we are.

It’s also important to remember that carriers continue to upgrade 4G networks and that both download speeds and latency can be improved further. Sadly, AT&T decided to label their latest advances as 5GE (5G Evolution), and later True 5G — despite the fact it’s just a souped-up version of LTE known as LTE advanced. It’s a deliberate attempt to mislead, so don’t be fooled. Many carriers did exactly the same thing with HSPA+, an improved 3G technology that they branded as 4G.

True 5G networks have already started to spread across major cities, with AT&T 5G available in 190 metropolitan areas across the country. The availability of 5G+ (AT&T’s mmWave deployments) has so far been rolled out to around three dozen cities and locales around the country — but even if you live in a major city, 5G may only be available in certain locales.

Although there is already an ever-increasing selection of phones that can take advantage of the technology, like the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus, most of us are still at least a year or two away from being able to access 5G. In the meantime, 4G will continue to serve us well.

Editors’ Recommendations