5g uc vs lte

By Allison Johnsona reviewer with 10 years of experience writing about consumer tech.

Take a quick look at the signal area of your phone. Have you noticed a new icon in the signal area? That's the 5G signal replacing the old LTE. Nowadays, it doesn't matter if you have the latest smartphone or a budget-friendly Android. You're probably in the 5G club.

5g uc vs lte

At the same time, you may have also heard of 5G UW , a similar network protocol from Verizon. Ultimately, being on the 5G UC network should mean you are receiving some of the best speeds possible. T-Mobile was the first carrier to boast 5G coverage in all 50 U. However, as the potential for 5G to revolutionize global communications became more apparent, the FCC began to reallocate and open up some new midrange spectrum capable of handling more 5G traffic and delivering faster speeds. This started a new turf war between the carriers. They not only had to bid to get their hands on the new spectrum but also had to deploy it more quickly to beat out their rivals in building better 5G services in hopes of attracting more customers. This led to each carrier developing its own brand of enhanced 5G. Although the carriers each use unique brands for their enhanced 5G services, they all mean essentially the same thing. When they appear, they indicate your device is using the faster mid-band and high-band 5G frequencies. Thanks to its merger with Sprint , it was able to score licenses for the 2. T-Mobile wasted no time decommissioning these Sprint towers and repurposing that spectrum; it officially launched its 5G Ultra Capacity network in Philadelphia only three weeks after the merger closed. While 5G Ultra Capacity still runs primarily on the 2. However, unlike Verizon, T-Mobile uses these mainly to provide coverage in venues like stadiums, concert halls, and airports where large numbers of subscribers are more likely to congregate.

There are low, mid, and high-band varieties of 5G spectrum. Previously, she worked at DPReview. Starting inVerizon started lighting up new mid-band 5G spectrum in major cities and classified it, too, as Ultra Wideband.

It works at higher frequencies than its predecessors, resulting in greater bandwidth and faster data transfer. This creates opportunity for quicker downloads, smoother streaming, and more responsive and reliable online experiences, even in spots with high network traffic. Your location, network provider, and device capabilities all influence that rate, but significant improvements in speed and performance can be expected from 5G in everyday scenarios. See Coverage details , Terms and Conditions , and Open Internet information for network management details like video optimization at T-Mobile. We built our 5G network for coverage and speed. Ookla trademarks used under license and reprinted with permission.

Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more. Unlike regular 5G networks, you can expect faster speeds than 4G LTE as well as better reliability in crowded areas. Not all 5G networks are equal — you can get a vastly different experience from one area to the next, both in terms of speed as well as range. This is because the network spectrum is utilized differently in each area. In simpler terms, a 5G network can be either low-band, mid-band, or mmWave. This means that you cannot expect blazing fast speeds, but it does offer latency improvements. It also offers far better coverage than the other two bands. If you live in a big city, however, you may find your smartphone picking up a 5G UC signal.

5g uc vs lte

By Allison Johnson , a reviewer with 10 years of experience writing about consumer tech. She has a special interest in mobile photography and telecom. Previously, she worked at DPReview. There are low, mid, and high-band varieties of 5G spectrum. They all provide different levels of data speeds, and all major US carriers use all three. Naturally, they also have different names for them. High-band 5G is very fast — download a movie in seconds fast — but the signal is extremely limited.

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Your location, network provider, and device capabilities all influence that rate, but significant improvements in speed and performance can be expected from 5G in everyday scenarios. Most Popular. Ookla trademarks used under license and reprinted with permission. Learn how 5G technology and expanded coverage is benefitting and changing our lives for good. However, as the potential for 5G to revolutionize global communications became more apparent, the FCC began to reallocate and open up some new midrange spectrum capable of handling more 5G traffic and delivering faster speeds. Why is 5G UC so slow? In fact, they will coexist and work together. It works at higher frequencies than its predecessors, resulting in greater bandwidth and faster data transfer. T-Mobile wasted no time decommissioning these Sprint towers and repurposing that spectrum; it officially launched its 5G Ultra Capacity network in Philadelphia only three weeks after the merger closed. Unlike regular 5G networks, you can expect faster speeds than 4G LTE as well as better reliability in crowded areas.

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It does not prioritize speed to the same degree as UC. Service may be terminated or restricted for excessive roaming. It will also always offer better-than-4G speeds. Search form Search this site. If your smartphone has to constantly hunt for a signal, you may see inferior battery life compared to standard 5G or 4G LTE. The first 5G-enabled drone on our 5G network. More recently, the carrier has also repurposed some older 1. Learn This Key Emergency Feature! What is the UC next to 5G? Completion of calls not guaranteed. Over time, 5G technology will change the way we live, work, and play—for the better. To learn more about the 5G network, check out our comprehensive breakdown of this technology. However, you might still see a 5G or 5GE icon on older models. Its absence outside urban areas means devices must continuously search for signals.