There are a lot of wireless terms you probably know the basic meaning behind, but sometimes it’s fun to really dig into what each one truly means. What is 5G? In short, it’s the technology that connects your phone, and lots of other stuff, to the global mobile network. But wasn’t that 4G? Yes, and 3G before that. So what’s the difference? Let’s get into it.

What does 5G mean?

5G stands for “5th generation,” meaning this is essentially the fifth iteration of this mobile network. What came before?

1G:

The dawn of the mobile phone, starting in the 1980s. Analog voice calls over short distances and that’s about it (but revolutionary for the time). 

2G:

The introduction of digital technology, allowing digital voice calls and SMS (text messaging). 2G happened in the 1990s. 

3G:

Starting in the early 2000s, 3G technology brought faster data transmission and allowed mobile phones to do things like make video calls, send multimedia messages and access the internet.

4G LTE:

Ushering in the modern smartphone era, 4G LTE was a significant step up from 3G. The greater bandwidth that came with 4G supported mobile gaming and gave phones the ability to stream video in HD. 

5G:

Everything before it has led to 5G, which gives us much faster speeds, more reliable connectivity, a greater capacity to connect more devices globally, and much lower latency. Latency is essentially the delay between a physical action and the response within the computer system. For the gamers out there, it’s the time between pressing the “jump” button on your controller and when your character actually jumps, which as you can imagine… needs to be as short as possible.

chart depicting 1G through 5G from the 1980s to the present

How fast is 5G?

The peak download speed of 5G is approximately 20 GB (gigabits) per second, while its peak upload speed is approximately 10 GB per second. This translates to 20,480 MB (megabits) per second download and 10,240 MB per second upload.

Compare this to 4G’s 100 MB (megabits) per second speed, and you can see what an improvement 5G is on the already incredible 4G network.

How does 5G work?

Just like the cellular networks that came before it, 5G tech transmits data through radio waves using cell sites, which are connected to the mobile network via wireless or wired connections. 5G modifies how any data being transmitted is encoded, allowing a greater number of usable airwaves for today’s wireless carriers. 

Do I need a new phone to get 5G?

Yes, the 5G network can only be accessed with a 5G-compatible phone. With many carriers worldwide offering 5G network services, most new models of popular smartphones support 5G. As the rollout continues, these numbers will only go up, making the technology more mainstream—and 5G-compatible smartphones (and wireless plans) will soon become the new norm.  

5G vs. 4G LTE

5G is only a few years old, which means many people still use the 4G LTE network today. If your phone is more than a couple of years old, it may not be 5G-compatible. Is upgrading worth it? Well here are some numbers to consider: 

  • Faster Speeds
    • 4G: 100 mbps 
    • 5G: 10,000 mbps
  • Lower latency
    • 4G: 200 milliseconds
    • 5G: 1 millisecond
  • Higher Bandwidth
    • 5G data rate=100 x 4G data rate

For perspective, downloading a typical HD movie takes about 50 minutes over 4G as opposed to 9 minutes on the 5G network.

Benefits of 5G vs 4G: Faster speeds, lower latency, higher bandwidth, better coverage, improved network security

What are the benefits of 5G?

In addition to the improvements over 4G discussed above, 5G brings other highly valuable and immediately noticeable benefits. These include:

  • Better coverage
    5G has a much stronger network connection and greater range than most typical Wi-Fi networks.
  • Improved network security
    Lower latency for manufacturing & smart factory environments allows complete control over “enterprise devices.” 

What’s next?

Naturally, after 5G will come 6G, which is already in its early stages of development. As for now, 5G is growing very quickly—forever changing how we stay connected. Ready to join the fun? Switch to Ultra Mobile and get unlimited nationwide talk & global text on America’s largest 5G network. 

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