16 votes

At this point, 5G is a bad joke

10 comments

  1. sjvn
    Link
    Do not, do not, spend big bucks just to get a phone that supports mmWave 5G. Most users won't see any real improvement this year or next.

    Do not, do not, spend big bucks just to get a phone that supports mmWave 5G. Most users won't see any real improvement this year or next.

    4 votes
  2. [2]
    onesecond
    Link
    I actually think the low band 5g is going to be extremely useful. Especially for countries like Canada and some of the states where you don't have massive population density.

    I actually think the low band 5g is going to be extremely useful. Especially for countries like Canada and some of the states where you don't have massive population density.

    4 votes
    1. sjvn
      Link Parent
      Agreed. 600MHz 5G is going to be a game changer in my home state of West Virginia.

      Agreed. 600MHz 5G is going to be a game changer in my home state of West Virginia.

      1 vote
  3. [7]
    RapidEyeMovement
    Link
    What does 5G bring that all the corporations are salivating about? It was billed as being able to unlock a lot of potential that 4G cannot handle. So is 5G just a better at hovering up our data...

    What does 5G bring that all the corporations are salivating about? It was billed as being able to unlock a lot of potential that 4G cannot handle.

    So is 5G just a better at hovering up our data then 4G?

    3 votes
    1. [3]
      JXM
      Link Parent
      It's a new selling point. 5 is greater than 4, so it's something they can use to get people to upgrade. It's not a massive, transformative leap like the move from 2G to 3G or 3G to LTE was. I...

      It's a new selling point. 5 is greater than 4, so it's something they can use to get people to upgrade. It's not a massive, transformative leap like the move from 2G to 3G or 3G to LTE was.

      I think 5G will be more important for things like home internet than it will be for actual phones. For example, they can put a 5G antenna in someone's yard and get good signal, then using a cellular connection for home internet and streaming becomes much more viable. I'd also imagine that a 5G node on top of a building and running wiring to all the residences would be way less expensive than a microwave installation, which are pretty common in larger cities.

      12 votes
      1. [2]
        AugustusFerdinand
        Link Parent
        While 4G/LTE is miles better than 3G, it is worth noting that no carrier in the US has ever actually met the standards for 4G. It's 4G in technology only, not speeds. I expect the same with 5G.

        It's a new selling point. 5 is greater than 4, so it's something they can use to get people to upgrade. It's not a massive, transformative leap like the move from 2G to 3G or 3G to LTE was.

        While 4G/LTE is miles better than 3G, it is worth noting that no carrier in the US has ever actually met the standards for 4G. It's 4G in technology only, not speeds. I expect the same with 5G.

        17 votes
        1. JXM
          Link Parent
          That’s why I’m thinking 5G will be more useful for fewer but larger installations (i.e., more backhaul than last mile). Less use on the network = more potential bandwidth per customer.

          That’s why I’m thinking 5G will be more useful for fewer but larger installations (i.e., more backhaul than last mile). Less use on the network = more potential bandwidth per customer.

          1 vote
    2. [2]
      babypuncher
      Link Parent
      The real benefit of 5G (and why carriers want people to move to it) is that it can support many more concurrent users without suffering from degraded throughput. This is kind of a difficult thing...

      The real benefit of 5G (and why carriers want people to move to it) is that it can support many more concurrent users without suffering from degraded throughput. This is kind of a difficult thing to market to end users, because at the end of the day they are offering about the same speeds they were already advertising with LTE. The only difference is with 5G they have a much better chance of actually delivering that advertised speed during peak usage hours.

      4 votes
      1. vektor
        Link Parent
        "Now: The same speeds we promised last time, but this time for real." Yeah, that's not gonna go over well.

        The only difference is with 5G they have a much better chance of actually delivering that advertised speed during peak usage hours.

        This is kind of a difficult thing to market to end users,

        "Now: The same speeds we promised last time, but this time for real."

        Yeah, that's not gonna go over well.

        3 votes
    3. sjvn
      Link Parent
      It all comes down to money. They'll charge more for smartphones and for 5G service. A case in point, the one smartphone available in the States, which can handle all three 5G variants, is the...

      It all comes down to money. They'll charge more for smartphones and for 5G service. A case in point, the one smartphone available in the States, which can handle all three 5G variants, is the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus. The entry-level model lists for $1,199. That's not a typo, that's spitting distance from twelve-hundred bucks.

      2 votes