It's over twice as fast as 4G on average and can deliver speeds of up to 1,000 Mbps in some urban areas. 5G phone and hotspot users experience less network congestion and lower latency rates. They're also used for emerging services like 5G home internet, which wasn't widely available on 4G networks.
Old 2G/3G infrastructure makes way for new networks, and older cellular devices must be retired. The good news is that 4G LTE will be available for at least a decade to come, and will co-exist with 5G networks.
half of U.S.A. will have access to 5G. By the year 2024, only half of Americans will actually own a 5G phone or other devices. No, 4G LTE shutdown will not be happening for atleast a decade. Therefore, the thing to remember is that 4G will not be going away anytime soon, regardless of how fast the 5G network grows.
Faster Speeds
5G upload speeds will typically be 1 to 40Mbps. On 4G, typical download speeds are 5 to 180Mbps, and upload speeds are 1 to 40Mbps, in 4G coverage areas.
3G and 4G are not disappearing anytime soon. If you don't have a 5G phone, that's fine. You can still access super-fast and extensive 4G coverage on the Telstra network until you're ready for a new 5G device. The 3G network will be decommissioned in 2024.
With its lower latency, greater network capacity and faster download speeds, 5G represents a massive improvement over the 4G network standard. But while major Aussie telcos have already started rolling out 5G mobile networks across the country, this new tech is still getting out of the starting blocks.
While 5G will succeed 4G, it will not replace it. 4G and 5G networks will exist simultaneously, and 3G networks will keep kicking around for some time. Telstra is currently the only telco to have provided an end date for 3G, and plans to keep the network active until June 2024.
If you see 4G, LTE, or 4G LTE, your phone is safe and will continue to work after the 3G networks are shut down. So while the letters being sent to customers notifying them of the 3G shutdown, customers will have a little more time to purchase a new phone.
Is it OK to buy a 4G phone in 2023? 4G phones still work on 4G LTE networks for now, but eventually they will become obsolete. Consider how long you plan to keep your phone; if you plan to keep your phone for longer than a year or so, it might be a good idea to get a phone that is 5G compatible.
The growth of 5G networks doesn't mean 4G is going away. Mobile carriers will use existing 4G LTE networks to provide their customers' cell service well into the next decade. 5G networks will work with 4G — not outright replace it. The upshot is that 5G-capable cell phones will still use 4G technology.
5G can be significantly faster than 4G, delivering up to 20 Gigabits-per-second (Gbps) peak data rates and 100+ Megabits-per-second (Mbps) average data rates. 5G has more capacity than 4G. 5G is designed to support a 100x increase in traffic capacity and network efficiency. 5G has lower latency than 4G.
5G offers faster maximum speeds than the NBN, but coverage is currently extremely limited in comparison. 5G could be a NBN alternative for some users, but is unlikely to replace other broadband plans and options.
Disadvantages of 5G Technology
Many of the old devices would not be competent to 5G, hence, all of them need to be replaced with new one — expensive deal. Developing infrastructure needs high cost. Security and privacy issue yet to be solved.
Google Pixel/stock Android phones
Open Settings> Network & Internet> SIMs> Preferred network type>Choose 5G.
The 5G standard uses millimeter waves, which are a lot shorter than the wavelengths 4G uses. The shorter wavelength means 5G can carry a lot of data much faster than 4G, but it also means a much shorter range.
If you own an older cellphone with 3G, be aware that in 2022, some of your electronics will stop working because of a 5G upgrade. If you own an older cellphone with 3G or a Kindle, be aware that in 2022 some of your electronics will stop working because of a 5G upgrade.
Among iPhones, only iPhone 12 and the later models like iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max support 5G. So, if your iPhone is older than iPhone 12, it won't support 5G. All of these models are built with the Apple A14 Bionic processor.
Will 5G work on existing devices built for 3G or 4G? No. New devices will be required. This includes mobile phones and other cellular devices, such as tablets and smart watches.
Australia has three main mobile phone providers - Vodafone, Telstra, and Optus - all of which operate using 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G frequency bands on the GSM network.
Seeing as the majority of 5G plans are the same as 4G plans, and most new smartphones are 5G-ready, it's a no-brainer to say that yes, 5G is worth it. In most cases, if you're getting a new handset or deal, you'll probably get 5G included at no extra cost, and then you'll get connected to superfast download speeds.
The two networks will work together, in the same way the 3G and 4G networks co-exist. The Optus 5G mobile network is currently available within selected Australian suburbs. Outside of 5G coverage areas, 5G capable devices will switch to the Optus 4G or 3G network.
The answer is, no. You do not require a new SIM to access 5G services.
Optus is the outright winner of the 5G Download Speed award, with an impressive score of 272.4 Mbps. The speeds observed by our users on Optus' 5G network are 32.8 Mbps (13.7%) faster than the speeds seen in the last report.
A T-Mobile website suggests toggling between LTE and 5G to save battery life on Samsung Galaxy S20 5G phones. “In particular, the super-fast mmWave flavor has shown that battery life drains down quicker when tapping those higher power frequencies,” said Luna.