Looks like there’s still some bugs to work out before the 5G revolution can start.
A little over a week ago, Verizon launched its 5G network in selected areas within Chicago and Minneapolis in the United States. Unfortunately though, its results are a little disappointing.
In terms of metrics, Verizon’s 5G networks scored less than stellar stats, despite its promises to perform better than regular 4G networks. Latency measured at 25.7 ms when it was supposed to stay below 10 ms. It wasn’t even a step higher than LTE latency which is 25.1 ms. The upload speed also averaged at 19 Mbps, much lower than the average 4G upload speed of 42 Mbps and a far cry from its promised triple-digit upload speed.
In terms of download speed, Verizon’s 5G networks were pretty good. Download speeds on the Moto Z3 phone reached a maximum of 600 Mbps, compared to the maximum 400 Mbps speed reached on a 4G device. This makes for a 50% increase, at the least.
According to PCMag’s report, Verizon is apparently using a form of 5G called “millimeter wave” that supposedly promises very high speeds in exchange for considerably shorter signal range from cell towers. Although it’s extremely fast, the speeds can drop off as soon as the user walks away from the cell site or walks indoors. As of writing, the cell sites can only use up to 400MHz, but Verizon says it has already installed 800Mhz in many areas. Access to this speed is still locked, but will be unlocked in the next software update.
