Current 5G Networks and Coverage

- Not All 5G Networks are the Same

The four major mobile carriers in the United States are building their 5G networks in different ways starting in 2020. AT&T has both a limited mmWave network and a more broadly available low-band network. The same goes for T-Mobile, which just switched on its low-band network around the nation to go along with a handful of higher-end service areas. Finally, Sprint operates on the mid-band for now, while Verizon has focused on mmWave technology. Annoyingly, however, not all 5G works the same. Between AT&T's 5G+, Verizon's "Ultra-Wideband" 5G, T-Mobile's "nationwide" network, and Sprint's "True Mobile 5G," different carriers' marketing terms can make it tough to tell what you're actually getting from their 5G plans. 

While it might seem confusing from the jump, you can basically separate 5G coverage into two camps: low-/mid-band and millimeter wave, commonly known as mmWave. The former uses frequencies below 6GHz and the latter goes beyond that threshold. Either way, 5G is a great deal faster than 4G LTE, which is what your phone uses now. In order to help clear up the confusion in as close to layman's terms as possible, we'll break down the differences between the two 5G standards. 

- AT&T

AT&T has three different brands for 5G:

• 5GE — fake 5G, actually just upgraded LTE
• 5G — actual 5G, but using low-band 850MHz spectrum technology that has broader range but slower speeds than mmWave (also known as Sub-6, and most similar to T-Mobile’s recently launched 600MHz network).
• 5G+ — mmWave 5G, based in high-band radio frequencies. It’s the fastest (and shortest range) 5G that AT&T launched last year, but only for selected businesses and developers.

5GE isn't 5G NR. It actually isn't 5G at all. 5G Evolution is the marketing name AT&T has given to its LTE Advanced network. While this represents the best of 4G with MIMO support and fiber optic backhauls, it really has nothing to do with 5G.

- Verizon

Verizon's 5G Ultra Wideband is a faster, more powerful network. It runs on radio frequencies the way 4G does except that 5G Ultra Wideband runs on a much higher frequency known as millimeter wave, and with the Verizon spectrum assets, at a much larger bandwidth. That large bandwidth provides faster speeds and more capacity, which means Verizon's network responds even when demand is greatest, like at huge sporting events. So, in a future where billions of smartphones and other devices demand more data, 5G Ultra Wideband network will be ready.