Verizon and AT&T both launched preliminary 5G cell services in late 2018, but neither is available or meaningful at the moment. Each is a gigantic work in progress with lots of work left.

5G is a massive investment for the next decade. For example in 2010 4G smartphones were officially announced, but it has taken them to this day to reach their full potential. Most 4G applications did not release until a couple of years after; a prime example is Snapchat which released in 2012.

If 5G follows the same time frame as 4G, then we should expect to see it fully developed around 2022. First of all, if you hear about 5G Wifi or AT&T’s “5G E” phones, they aren’t 5G cellular. 5G networks are expected to use a type of encoding called OFDM, which is similar to the encoding that current 4G LTE uses.

The G in 5G means it is generation wireless. Their data transmission speeds have defined other generations. 5G brings three aspects to the table: higher speed, lower latency, and the ability to connect a lot more devices at once.

The way 5G waves cover the area

Higher speed allows us to move more amounts of data in the most efficient way possible. Lower latency provides a more responsive and overall faster experience. Last, 5G allows more devices to connect at the same time, but it does not affect the bandwidth.

There are quite a few misconceptions of 5G cell service. A symbiosis between 4G and 5G has caused AT&T to be a little too enthusiastic about its 4G network. They have been saying how their 4G network has taken a significant jump and how it is considered 5G Evolution. This is false, and they most likely do this for marketing. The phrasing is designed to confuse less-informed customers into thinking they are purchasing 5G.

I interviewed Brian Yapkowitz and Alex Dyck about their thoughts on 5G cell service. When asked about it, Brian said,” I have heard quite a bit about it, but I feel that we will have to wait a long time for it to develop and be functioning fully.”

When asked about it being worth the money, Alex replied with,” Right now it is a gimmick and a marketing scam for consumers to buy 4G products that are supposed to be 5G related.” To conclude, 5G is a work in progress at the moment. Companies who say they have a full working 5G service are lying to get more money out of their consumers.