It is time for the annual fastest smartphone network shootout of PCMag, and it is an important one since this is the first time when we have only three major carriers in the U.S. All of these 3 major carriers are pushing 5G hard. Several high-end smartphones support 5G, and Google is also gearing to make 5G accessible at a lower price range with its Pixel 4a 5G. According to PCMag’s annual smartphone network testing in the United States, 4G speeds are getting better, however, it seems that 5G is not delivering on its potential. Verizon was ranked at the top followed by AT&T. This year’s test has revealed that 5G is actually slower as compared to 4G in various places. PCMag said that the test was conducted in 26 cities of the United States due to complications from the coronavirus pandemic. Las Vegas, Washington, DC, and Baltimore are some of the cities included in this test.
Verizon scored 98 out of 100-speed score, mainly due to its robust 4G network, while AT&T and T-Mobile scored 96 and 88-speed score, respectively. Verizon also showed the highest maximum download speed at 2011 Mbps, however, according to PCMag, only 4% of Verizon’s network has 5G. In comparison, T-Mobile and AT&T achieved download speed up to 643.3 Mbps and 473.1 Mbps, respectively. Out of the 26 cities tested, Verizon only offers 5G in 18 cities, and T-Mobile, as well as AT&T, offer broader access to 5G. It is worth noting that 5G speeds of T-Mobile are not much faster as compared to 4G networks, while the network speeds of AT&T actually got slower with 5G networks.
PCMag’s latest report leads us to the conclusion that 5G is not yet ready. Maybe we will get better 5G speeds in the upcoming years, but 5G is a bad experience this year. You may have heard about low-latency gaming and surgeries in virtual reality, however, it seems that those things are a long time away from most people. Real 5G has not yet reached most places in the United States, and it will take more time to roll out 5G to more of the spectrum.
The good news for users is that 4G is getting better, and it is only the start for 5G speeds. Things will get better as more users are purchasing 5G smartphones, and new towers are being deployed with the support for 5G.
Read next: Data Shows U.S. 5G Speeds Is Lagging Far Behind Other Countries, Saudi Arabia and Canada Enjoy the Fastest Overall Average Download Speed
Verizon scored 98 out of 100-speed score, mainly due to its robust 4G network, while AT&T and T-Mobile scored 96 and 88-speed score, respectively. Verizon also showed the highest maximum download speed at 2011 Mbps, however, according to PCMag, only 4% of Verizon’s network has 5G. In comparison, T-Mobile and AT&T achieved download speed up to 643.3 Mbps and 473.1 Mbps, respectively. Out of the 26 cities tested, Verizon only offers 5G in 18 cities, and T-Mobile, as well as AT&T, offer broader access to 5G. It is worth noting that 5G speeds of T-Mobile are not much faster as compared to 4G networks, while the network speeds of AT&T actually got slower with 5G networks.
PCMag’s latest report leads us to the conclusion that 5G is not yet ready. Maybe we will get better 5G speeds in the upcoming years, but 5G is a bad experience this year. You may have heard about low-latency gaming and surgeries in virtual reality, however, it seems that those things are a long time away from most people. Real 5G has not yet reached most places in the United States, and it will take more time to roll out 5G to more of the spectrum.
The good news for users is that 4G is getting better, and it is only the start for 5G speeds. Things will get better as more users are purchasing 5G smartphones, and new towers are being deployed with the support for 5G.
Read next: Data Shows U.S. 5G Speeds Is Lagging Far Behind Other Countries, Saudi Arabia and Canada Enjoy the Fastest Overall Average Download Speed
