5G will revolutionize the way we use the Internet, bringing high-speed data everywhere, creating smart cities, and even replacing home Internet connections. That’s what the industry says, anyway. But when is 5G coming to your city?
What Is 5G?
Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile are racing to get 5G on your phone and in your home. But what is 5G, and how is it different from 4G LTE?
5G is the wireless standard that will replace 4G LTE. It can theoretically reach speeds up to 10 gigabits per second, which is very fast—but 20 Gbps is the minimum target. To put things into perspective, that could theoretically be a hundred times as fast a 4G LTE connection, much faster than a ten megabits per second wired connection, and comparable to the speeds that people get with wired fiber connections.
And even though it’s a wireless connection, 5G has a much lower latency than the wired connection you have at home. According to the FCC, fiber connections tend to have a 17-millisecond delay, and cable Internet connections tend to have a latency of about 28 milliseconds. But AT&T claims that their 5G connections have a delay between 9 and 12 milliseconds. That shortened delay time makes streaming, downloading, gaming, and video chatting much more reliable.
RELATED: What Is 5G, and How Fast Will It Be?
What Cities Already Have 5G?
Service providers have been testing 5G in the real world to see how it works. Plus, they’re racing to get your money. As a result, there are already some cities that have 5G connections. If you happen to live in one of these cities, you’ll want to keep in mind that you can’t really use mobile 5G connections without a compatible phone, so you’ll have to wait a few months before 5G products start hitting the market.
These US cities have 5G right now, as of January 17, 2019:
Verizon (Home internet service):
- Los Angeles, CA
- Sacramento, CA
- Indianapolis, IN
- Houston, TX
AT&T:
- Jacksonville, FL
- Atlanta, GA
- Indianapolis, IN
- Louisville, KY
- New Orleans, LA
- Charlotte, NC
- Raleigh, NC
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Dallas, TX
- Houston, TX
- San Antonio, TX
- Waco, TX
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Source : What US Cities Will Get 5G In 2019?
