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Is having 5G on your cellphone worth it?

Posted at 10:25 AM, Aug 30, 2019
and last updated 2019-08-30 10:48:47-04

WTKR - Wireless carriers continue to build out their 5G networks-- which promise faster speeds.

We love our cellphones, and 5G will make the things we do on them faster.

5G represents next-generation mobile networks, and there is a myriad of new opportunities, some of which we don`t know yet, that will be enabled by 5G.

This week, sprint activated 5G service in Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix and Washington D.C. It`s 6 times faster than our LTE, about average 200 megabits per second.

The company calls it true mobile 5G since they`re taking a different approach than AT&T and Verizon.

Those companies are using a technology called Millimeter Wave, which gives you higher speeds but the signals don`t travel as far.

Sprint opting for slightly lower speeds in favor of more broad coverage.

To access the speedier new network, you`ll need a new phone. OnePlus and Samsung have them.

When you get a good 5G signal, the speeds are amazing. But there are plenty of places still without it.

Unless you`re an early adopter with a need for speed, it`s probably best to wait to see how these new networks develop.

Besides the added speeds, there's one other important aspect to 5G.

There's less delay to the signal-- which means less time between when you click-- and when things happen in games, websites and downloads.