The State Of 5G: Where Is It Now & Where Is It Headed

By Victoria Schmid

Remember 5G? At the end of last year, wireless carriers and smartphone manufacturers seemed to have big plans for the next-gen mobile network, with promises of rollouts in the first months of 2019. AT&T and Verizon both had plans to begin rolling out 5G services early in the year, and T-Mobile was set to follow later in 2019. And then, as suddenly as it started, things got quiet. What happened, and where are we now?

What Is 5G?

5G is the next generation of cellular technology. Currently, the majority of smartphones and wireless networks use 4G technology, often referred to as LTE. This current technology maxes out at 100Mbps or megabits per second (theoretically). 5G will take these already-fast networks and bump up the speed to new levels while also reducing latency. In other words, they’ll be fast. Like up to 10 Gbps or gigabits per second fast. 5G networks will also accommodate many more devices simultaneously, which is why there’s been so much hype around 5G and the Internet of Things. “5G will be the post-smartphone era,” says Robert J. Topol, general manager of 5G at Intel. “Phones are the first place to launch because [they’re] such an anchor in our lives from a connectivity standpoint.”

Where Is 5G Now?

Currently, AT&T and Verizon do have 5G service available, but it’s extremely limited. AT&T launched 5G service in a dozen cities in December 2018, along with a mobile 5G hotspot. Verizon has a 5G home internet service, but its 5G mobile network hasn’t gone live yet. The bigger problem, though, is that there aren’t any phones on the market yet that can even make use of these networks.

Catherine McNally, an internet specialist at SatelliteInternet.com, says, “Right now, AT&T claims it’s the only US wireless provider with a live mobile 5G network. But even when Verizon and other carriers catch up, the reality is that there aren’t any phones out there currently that support 5G technology. Likely, one of the first will be the Moto Z3 when paired with the Verizon-exclusive 5G Moto Mod.”

Besides Motorola, a few other prominent smartphone makers have announced plans for their first 5G phones. The Samsung Galaxy S10 5G will (obviously) feature 5G connectivity. This phone will initially launch on Verizon’s 5G network sometime in the first half of 2019. The bendy and expensive Samsung Galaxy Fold will also come in a 5G version when it launches.

LG’s first 5G device, the V50 ThinQ, will launch on Sprint initially and then Verizon later in the year. Smartphone makers like Huawei, OnePlus, and ZTE also have plans for 5G phones, but these won’t be coming to the US initially. Apple will likely sit out 2019 and wait for the initial kinks in the 5G networks to be worked out, similar to its approach with 4G LTE nearly ten years ago.

Where Is 5G Headed?

All four major carriers have announced plans for 5G rollouts this year. AT&T will continue its rollout of 5G to major cities, including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Orlando. Verizon will add 5G service to 30 cities in 2019, though it hasn’t disclosed which ones yet.

Sprint will commence its 5G rollout in May, with the first cities being Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, and Kansas City. And T-Mobile will launch its 5G network starting this year, but has delayed the launch until the latter half of the year.

It looks like 2019 will still be the Year of 5G, though things may be moving a little slower than originally expected. Still, it’s an exciting time for mobile technology fans, so stay tuned!

Victoria Schmid

Victoria enjoys writing about technology for the “everyday” person. She is a specialist in online business marketing and consumer technology. She has a background in broadcast journalism.

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