5G is still just hype for AT&T and Verizon
Carrier marketing campaigns are outpacing the actual networks
By Chaim Gartenberg@cgartenberg Apr 5, 2019, 5:19pm EDTSHARE
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
AT&T and Verizon had big 5G-related announcements this week: AT&T published speed test results that seemingly validated its “5G E” LTE network as the fastest around, and Verizon launched its 5G network in parts of Chicago and Minneapolis. But both of these announcements underscore just how much of a mess 5G is right now. AT&T’s results appear to be skewed in the company’s favor, and Verizon’s rollout seems slapdash, with poor coverage even in the areas that Verizon promised.
These are just the latest headaches for 5G, which has been marred by delayed rollouts, limited hardware tests, conflicting standards, political wrangling, and more. With telecom companies rushing to be first, odds are the mess of 5G will only get worse as the rollouts continue. If people’s first experiences with 5G are this shoddy, why should they trust — and pay extra — for the networks when they do actually arrive for real?
Verizon’s 5G network is blazing fast, but it barely exists
Take AT&T. The company seemingly scored a win this week by announcing that recent Ookla speed tests had found its 5G E network (which, again, is LTE, not 5G) to be the fastest in the US, buoying the company’s message that the 5G E brand would help cement AT&T’s reputation ahead of its actual 5G launch later this year.
But those results aren’t as clear-cut as AT&T would have you believe: Ookla says that the spike in results for AT&T is due to an increase in speed tests from iPhone users after the release of iOS 12.2, specifically on the iPhone XR, XS Max, XS, X, 8, and 8 Plus, which are the same models that now display 5G E logos following that update.
This is not a good look for 5G.
OpenSignal’s recent study from before iOS 12.2 was released — shows that AT&T’s 5G E is actually slower than T-Mobile and Verizon. Verge readers on Twitter have also shared similarly poor results; it’s certainly not representative of all users, but it’s definitely not the kind of first impression AT&T wants attached to its 5G brand, either.
Things don’t necessarily improve when you get to actual 5G, either, as Verizon showed us this week during its real 5G launch. In his tests out in Chicago, my colleague Chris Welch learned that actual 5G will offer dramatically better speeds at rates between 400 and 600 Mbps for downloads. (Those are the kinds of numbers that AT&T’s 5G E network can only dream of.) But the network itself is extremely spotty. When Verizon says that only “select areas” will have 5G, it’s not kidding: service was reportedly inconsistent. Even where Verizon did offer 5G, it often appeared and vanished from one block to the next.
That’s a problem. Verizon may have technically launched its network first, but if it can’t offer widespread or consistent service, then it’s just that: a technical achievement without real practical application. Verizon’s rush to be first seems to be coming at the expense of a reliable 5G network, something that early adopters (who, remember, are paying $10 per month extra) will have to deal with while Verizon gets more substantial coverage.
more@https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/5/18296973/5g-e-att-verzion-marketing-hype-speed-tests-rollout-chicago-minneapolis
Carrier marketing campaigns are outpacing the actual networks
By Chaim Gartenberg@cgartenberg Apr 5, 2019, 5:19pm EDTSHARE
AT&T and Verizon had big 5G-related announcements this week: AT&T published speed test results that seemingly validated its “5G E” LTE network as the fastest around, and Verizon launched its 5G network in parts of Chicago and Minneapolis. But both of these announcements underscore just how much of a mess 5G is right now. AT&T’s results appear to be skewed in the company’s favor, and Verizon’s rollout seems slapdash, with poor coverage even in the areas that Verizon promised.
These are just the latest headaches for 5G, which has been marred by delayed rollouts, limited hardware tests, conflicting standards, political wrangling, and more. With telecom companies rushing to be first, odds are the mess of 5G will only get worse as the rollouts continue. If people’s first experiences with 5G are this shoddy, why should they trust — and pay extra — for the networks when they do actually arrive for real?
Verizon’s 5G network is blazing fast, but it barely exists
Take AT&T. The company seemingly scored a win this week by announcing that recent Ookla speed tests had found its 5G E network (which, again, is LTE, not 5G) to be the fastest in the US, buoying the company’s message that the 5G E brand would help cement AT&T’s reputation ahead of its actual 5G launch later this year.
But those results aren’t as clear-cut as AT&T would have you believe: Ookla says that the spike in results for AT&T is due to an increase in speed tests from iPhone users after the release of iOS 12.2, specifically on the iPhone XR, XS Max, XS, X, 8, and 8 Plus, which are the same models that now display 5G E logos following that update.
This is not a good look for 5G.
OpenSignal’s recent study from before iOS 12.2 was released — shows that AT&T’s 5G E is actually slower than T-Mobile and Verizon. Verge readers on Twitter have also shared similarly poor results; it’s certainly not representative of all users, but it’s definitely not the kind of first impression AT&T wants attached to its 5G brand, either.
Things don’t necessarily improve when you get to actual 5G, either, as Verizon showed us this week during its real 5G launch. In his tests out in Chicago, my colleague Chris Welch learned that actual 5G will offer dramatically better speeds at rates between 400 and 600 Mbps for downloads. (Those are the kinds of numbers that AT&T’s 5G E network can only dream of.) But the network itself is extremely spotty. When Verizon says that only “select areas” will have 5G, it’s not kidding: service was reportedly inconsistent. Even where Verizon did offer 5G, it often appeared and vanished from one block to the next.
That’s a problem. Verizon may have technically launched its network first, but if it can’t offer widespread or consistent service, then it’s just that: a technical achievement without real practical application. Verizon’s rush to be first seems to be coming at the expense of a reliable 5G network, something that early adopters (who, remember, are paying $10 per month extra) will have to deal with while Verizon gets more substantial coverage.
more@https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/5/18296973/5g-e-att-verzion-marketing-hype-speed-tests-rollout-chicago-minneapolis
