Verizon Nationwide 5g

[L0n3N1nja]

Looks like Verizon is pushing people to T-Mobile.

LMAO sorry but I don't want to rely on WiFi calling when I'm home while also having no coverage inside numerous buildings and searching for signal while on the interstate.

I wouldn't bother with T-Mobile if it was free. At least not living within North Dakota/Minnesota like I do.

 

[consultant1027]

5g is not about speed. it's about latency aka ping

5g is about whatever the Carrier's Advertising Agencies want to make it about which is whatever makes consumers think their lives will be much better if they have it.

Here is a summary of my experience the last 5 months.

Had a Samsung S10 5G which only supports the UW (short range 5G in just a few cities right now). Never got to try it as I don't live in one of the 3% of the area that's covered. I had an opportunty to get an S20 Plus brand new for $550 (purchased outright - not carrier specific) so I grabbed it and decided to explore 5G capability now having the ability to get the mid-long range frequencies. I soon discovered my Factory Unlocked version didn't get the Android 11 update yet that unlocked those frequencies that Verizon is using for mid-long range 5G (DSS 4G LTE essentially as others have noted). So I got a T-Mobile pre-paid account, same thing, no 5G indicator, but my LTE speeds were double what I was getting from Verizon like 90 mbit/s instead of 45. (This discovery allowed me to dump Comcast for T-mobile Home Internet btw as 90mbit is plenty fast for my home.) Come to find it's just that T-mobile has a tower much closer in my Seattle suburb.

But instead of switching to T-mobile for faster 4G LTE, I decided to stick with Verizon after careful examination of overall call/data coverage maps around the US. Verizon still beats T-Mobile in coverage when you get outside of cities and I've found this to be my personal experience in recent years. Tmobile is really solid, in-city and along major highways, freeways, but once you get off the beaten path you lose signal a lot more often on Tmobile.

I got the update on my S20 for Android 11 a couple months ago, and now have the 5G indicator. The download speed is basically the same as it's just 4G DSS, but the 5G indicator is what the carriers want people to see to make them feel it was worth buying/financing that new 5G phone. The UPLOAD speeds however did significantly increase when going to Verizon's "fake" 5G (4G LTE DSS) by about double in my area. Upload on a phone isn't as important as on your laptop/PC but that WAS the big difference.

Tmobile is going to have mid-range 5G coverage expand much faster than Verizon due to its purchase of Sprint. But really, what do I need speeds over 45 mbit for? NOTHING. I can stream 4K video at 20mbit. It's all hype. Where it may come into benefit is like at a big stadium with 50K people using their phones, the 5G UW will come in handy in those situations where typically 4G gets saturated and crawls to a snail's pace.

 

[swebb]

So true.

The axiom to pick your carrier based on coverage never goes out of style. No matter what the current technology.

 

[mesocyclone30]

Funny thing is here in Emporia KS, on Verizon, we don't have 5G but two small towns east of us, Lebo and Melvern the map shows 5G. although when i logged coverage with nPerf app i never got 5G after passing through or stopping at Lebo multiple times and one trip yielded 5G around and at Melvern KS. I forgot to log on one occasion and the app glitched up on another so i didn't get a log of coverage on highway 75 from Beto to the Melvern exit.

 

[o4liberty]

I have tmobile and their 5 g is everywhere I go some speeds are like LTE but most are very fast. I would say that big reds days and the best are almost over.

 

[Climb14er]

VZ is rolling out 5G all over my neighborhood, SE Denver and in many other neighboring areas. THE ONLY THING KEEPING ME WITH VERIZON... is their superior reception in the rural areas of Colorado and the West where I mostly travel. I can get unbelievably enticing deals on a plan with an S21 Ultra, dual sim/esim from TMobile, but unless I'm along an interstate, Town, city, Verizon pulls far better in the rural areas than TMobile. I might switch... but for now, VZ LTE 4G plus high speed 4Channel wifi works great for me. However, Verizon's customer service has deteriorated the last few years... that and the bonus of switching to TMobile, might prompt me to make the change.

 

[swebb]

Have you tried Tmobile in the last year? In my semi-rural area, the coverage is even a little better than Verizon. Seems like they've deployed a ton of low band coverage which makes a difference. Of course, what works in my area may not in yours. You would want to trial it first. Perhaps you could try the 7 day Mint Mobile trial, which runs on TMobile towers, to see how it works for you. If the coverage is acceptable, you could switch to any plan that uses TMo towers.

 

[JHStewart1023]

we left t-mobile cause their service wasn't good in our area, and that was last fall. I know as a consumer 5g isn't going to be a thing for some time now, for me it's about reliability and dependability and Verizon provides that for our family. I don't see us leaving anytime soon.

 

[Climb14er]

Have you tried Tmobile in the last year? In my semi-rural area, the coverage is even a little better than Verizon. Seems like they've deployed a ton of low band coverage which makes a difference. Of course, what works in my area may not in yours. You would want to trial it first. Perhaps you could try the 7 day Mint Mobile trial, which runs on TMobile towers, to see how it works for you. If the coverage is acceptable, you could switch to any plan that uses TMo towers.

Been here in Colorado for many years, even way further back than the old analog days. Tmobile works along Interstate hwy corridors and the main two lane blacktops near rural towns. Verizon is far superior further in the back country, rural roads and areas. That's the experience of myself and friends who have both carriers. As you know, the rural West is very expansive, there are times when VZ fails to obtain a signal, but that doesn't last that long until I could get one. Even up high on the peaks, VZ pulls fairly well. I've traveled with friends on Tmobile and where they can't get a signal, I can usually pull one or two bars. When it comes down to it, I'm still swayed by paying more so I can receive better reception. Frankly, I wish Tmobile would pull better rurally. I still haven't made a decision.

 

[anon(40376)]

What did I do before cellular? Satellite

Currently retired and living two plus hours from city with 50K people in my state. One hour closer to similar size city in bordering state; however, due to mountains no service from there.

That's why I have to stay with VZW. But 5g? Probably be ashes before that happens, and then won't really care.

 

[o4liberty]

Go with TMobile their 5G is awesome and it's almost everywhere. I love it get great speeds around my area.

 

[swebb]

You've got to go with what works best for you. Unfortunately, there are still too many areas where there is no real competition.

 

[beantownsouth]

Go with TMobile their 5G is awesome and it's almost everywhere. I love it get great speeds around my area.

I just moved over to T-Mobile from Verizon. Out here in rural North Carolina, T-Mobile hasn't dropped a call once. and 5G every where I've gone. I used to get dropped on Verizon in downtown Charlotte!