5G speed: Setting the record straight
Despite what some carriers might have you believe, not all 5G is created equal.
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Some wireless carriers have been making some bold claims recently about their 5G technology. While it’s true that the shift to 5G means increased speeds and lower network latency—improvements that can push the throttle forward on streaming, downloading, gaming and more—it pays to keep one truth in mind: Not all 5G is created equal.
4G network speed vs. 5G network speed
Some carriers claim their 5G network is, on average, 20% faster than their current 4G. On the face of it, that looks like progress. But Verizon has long offered a network that can not only match those 5G speeds in certain cities, but sometimes exceed them. It’s called Verizon 4G LTE.
Verizon is the largest network provider in the country, and the network more people choose. 4G LTE has powered our customers’ most important connections—and some remarkable technological breakthroughs, like Uber and reliable video calling—for nearly a decade. Our commitment to network excellence has kept us at the top of RootMetrics® U.S. National RootScore® report rankings of wireless carriers in overall reliability, data and call performance for 13 reports in a row.1
Today, as we continue to roll out Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband—available in parts of 34 cities and counting—customers connected to the Verizon 5G network are experiencing previously unimaginable network speeds, ultra-low latency and unprecedented network capacity. The performance of Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband is expected to be, in every sense, a game-changer.
To state it plainly: Verizon 4G LTE can be faster than some other carriers’ 5G, and Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband offers a quantum leap in network speed and performance.
A higher standard for 5G network speed
But just how fast is Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband? We’re glad you asked. It’s 10X times faster than some other 5G networks, according to Speedtest® by Ookla®.2 And the performance gains of Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband compared to Verizon 4G LTE register on a completely different scale.
Relative to Verizon 4G LTE, Speedtest Intelligence® data on Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband recorded in Denver showed an 820.2% download speed improvement. In Minneapolis, Verizon 5G download speeds were 917.5% faster. In Providence, R.I., the 5G vs. 4G download speed advantage was a scarcely believable 1024.0% Measured against some other carriers’ 5G networks or against the network that has made Verizon #1 in the nation according to RootMetrics, Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband represents a bold step forward.
Competitors say they are building 5G. But what’s important to understand is their vision of 5G is incremental. What we are doing is transformational.
—Hans Vestberg, Verizon Chairman and CEO
There’s 5G, and then there’s Verizon 5G
No matter what claims other carriers may make about their offerings, Verizon is leading the way when it comes to 5G, and that success doesn’t happen by accident.
“Competitors say they are building 5G,” says Verizon Chairman and CEO Hans Vestberg. “But what’s important to understand is their vision of 5G is incremental. What we are doing is transformational.”
The future is 5G, and with Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband, that future is approaching more rapidly than ever.
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1 Rankings based on the RootMetrics US National, State, and Metro RootScore Reports: 2H 2019. Tested with best commercially available smartphones on 4 national mobile networks across all available network types. Your experiences may vary. Visit www.rootmetrics.com for more details.
2 Based on analysis by Ookla® of Speedtest Intelligence® data of T-Mobile and Verizon 5G (Beta) average download speed results for Q4 2019 nationally.
