5G Cellular Data Fundamentals for Mobile Internet

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Fifth Generation Cellular for RVers and Boaters

5G is shorthand for "fifth generation" cellular technology.

5G technology developed over several years and started to go mainstream in 2020 and is continuing a rapid pace of growth. In the coming years, it will become as pervasive as 4G, eventually replacing 4G as the dominant cellular technology.

As 5G continues to roll out, it is laying the foundation for the next decade of evolution in cellular speeds and capabilities.

In this guide, we will bring together information covering 5G and how it impacts RVers and cruisers who rely on cellular data for their mobile internet needs. 

We actively update this guide, and all of our content, to keep up with this rapidly evolving technological shift - helping our audience decide when it makes sense to incorporate 5G into their mobile internet arsenals. 

There can be downsides, after all, to embracing a new and still developing technology.

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What is 5G? 

Roughly every ten years, a fundamentally new generation of cellular technologies comes to market.

In 2010 - the 4G/LTE era began when Verizon became the first United States carrier to embrace fourth-generation cellular technologies, starting the move from the limited mobile data capabilities of the 3G era towards the data-centric speeds and capabilities enabled by 4G.

More than a decade has passed, and 4G/LTE is everywhere as a mature technology. 5G builds on the advantages of 4G/LTE, and we are currently in a similar long transition period to the next generation of cellular technology.

Why Evolve via Generations?

Cellular technology is based on common technical standards so that different device manufacturers, cellular carriers, and networking equipment suppliers worldwide can build to these standards and create interoperable gear.

If it weren't for standards - there would be chaos in the market.

But technology constantly evolves, and so do standards. The standards developed for the available technologies of the 1990s could never anticipate the technological advancements and market demands of the 2020s.

To strike a balance between interoperability and progress - the cellular industry has worked together to allow for a major change in the fundamental, underlying standards just once a decade, with continual smaller (but still backward compatible) jumps made every few years between the major generational shifts. 

The changes between different generations of cellular technologies come down to redefining the rules of how cell towers and devices communicate with each other - which then allows new gear to be developed under those new specifications.

In other words - evolving the standards to take advantage of newer technologies enables a new generation of more advanced devices than would have been possible before.

A Highway Analogy

Back in the 1960s the max highway length for a vehicle on most roads was 35' - effectively limiting how long buses and motorhomes could be made to legally operate on US roadways. These days, that max length is 45' - which means we have can have larger vehicles transporting more commercial goods across the country, buses that move more people, and motorhomes with more luxuries.

As technology advanced, the standards advanced - and the overall capability of the highway system evolved.

Cellular is evolving similarly, but at a MUCH more rapid pace!

For more on the past and to better understand the evolution of cellular technology, check out our guide looking deeper into the colorful history of cellular technologies:

Cellular Evolution Guide

Benefits of 5G

Fifth-generation cellular rethinks cellular networking to allow for much faster peak speeds, more data usage, substantially lower network latency, and for cellular networks with vastly more connected devices than were possible in the 4G era.

Some examples of the capabilities that are changing thanks to new 5G specifications:

• Faster Speeds: The largest 4G channels are 20 MHz wide (think of them as a 20-lane highway), and carrier aggregation technology allows the most advanced 4G/LTE modems to combine up to eight different channels together for more capacity. This has enabled peak theoretical LTE speeds to reach well over a gigabit per second, but this is as far as 4G technology can be pushed. 5G technology, on the other hand, allows for 100 MHz and even 400 MHz wide channels (imagine 100 lanes of traffic on a highway!), even more of these channels can be bonded together, and 5G radios can use these invisible airwaves more efficiently too. These technological advancements combine to open the door to peak theoretical 5G speeds of over 10 Gbps (gigabits per second) - with real-world speeds substantially over 1 Gbps already being seen in many areas.
• More Data Usage: For most applications, few people can tell the difference between 50 Mbps and 500 Mbps (Megabits per second). But a faster network has the raw capability to serve more data to more people at once, meaning less overall congestion. This (hopefully!) opens the door to carriers being less stingy with the limits on their data plans once their 5G networks begin to mature.
• Lower Latency: 4G/LTE networks have a lot of built-in overhead that makes latencies (the round trip delay in the network) of less than 30ms nearly impossible to achieve. 5G networks have been redesigned to allow latencies to eventually reach as low as 1ms, enabling cellular to match even the fastest cable and fiber networks. Low latencies will enable everything from virtual reality and augmented reality headsets to self-driving cars that can communicate directly with each other in real-time.
• More Network Capacity: Not every device needs crazy fast speeds or low latencies, and 5G networks are being designed to also enable millions of low-cost and lower-performance devices too - all connected at once in a way that would have overwhelmed 4G networks. Imagine cellular devices as basic as temperature sensors in a garden, with batteries that last for years without a recharge.
• Better Battery Life (Eventually): Most 5G networks are currently layered on top of the legacy 4G networks, meaning that 5G cellular devices also need to keep the 4G radio powered on to keep connected. But over time, 5G networks will be able to stand alone without relying on 4G, and 5G radios will be able to work in new low-power modes that have the potential to significantly improve battery life for connected devices.

Though 5G changes the networking rules in some substantial ways - it is actually a direct evolution of 4G/LTE technologies, building upon an established foundation. 

But eventually, 5G networks will evolve well beyond 4G/LTE - and 5G technology will be used for everything from home internet service to private corporate networks to enabling a whole new generation of mobile devices.

5G Industry Update

Chris provides a 2023 state-of-industry update on 5G and an overview of 5G modems.

 

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5G Frequencies

Delivering on the promise of 5G requires new radio technologies and new chunks of wireless spectrum to broadcast upon.

5G is opening up new frequency bands and reutilizing existing lower and mid-range bands used by 4G/LTE and retired 3G networks.

These different frequency bands have different general performance traits - and they are grouped into three types: mmWave (millimeter wave), mid-band, and low-band.

You can think of it like a layer cake with differently flavored layers. 

Each carrier is going about its 5G deployments differently, depending on what spectrum holdings they have available - prioritizing different layers of their cellular cake as they build their 5G networks.

To find out where the carriers are currently at, and what bands they support, see our Major Carriers Guide.

Here is more about the layers of the 5G frequency cake:

mmWave

These super high-frequency signals are great for speed, but they do NOT travel far through the air, and they can be easily blocked by walls and windows. This means that mmWave 5G networks only provide 5G service within a block or so (or even less) of the typically streetlight-mounted mmWave 5G transmitters. This mmWave technology is great for delivering 5G service in places where many people congregate - like stadiums, city centers, airports, and shopping malls - eliminating dreaded network congestion.

Many of the earliest 5G deployments focused on these extremely high-frequency millimeter wave (mmWave) signals. mmWave will rarely be the type of 5G that RVers and cruisers will encounter since it is deployed primarily in dense urban areas.

With mmWave coverage, speeds can be expected to be measured in the Gbps.

Mid-Band 

This spectrum provides a good balance of speed and range - and is the key to a truly "next generation" 5G experience. It's considered the sweet spot.

Many of the mid-band frequencies use new spectrum that is still being acquired and built out by the carriers - and it will take time for these newly built networks to fully realized and achieve widespread coverage.

With mid-band, anticipate speeds measured in the hundreds of Mbps, and coverage reaching a few miles from the towers.

Low-Band 

This spectrum is mostly already used by the carriers for their 4G/LTE networks today, and it is being repurposed for providing 5G over long ranges. Additionally, some frequencies previously used for 3G are being repurposed for 5G.

Low-band 5G can reach most anywhere 4G/LTE is available today, providing nationwide 5G even in rural locations. But this low-band, long-range 5G technology can not defy the laws of physics - and if you are only in a low-band coverage area, 5G will not be able to deliver performance much beyond "really good 4G" in many places.

For more on understanding the trade-offs of different cellular frequencies, check out our guide:

Understanding Cellular Frequencies

5G Indicators

Each carrier is taking a different path to fully deploying their 5G networks, which we cover in more depth further in this guide. And each is treating parts of its 5G network differently than the existing spectrum, even in data plans. 

To help people better understand how they are connecting, the carriers have moved to display special indicators on smartphones, hotspots, and routers to show just what type of 5G a device is receiving. 

Here's how the carriers are labeling their 5G flavors - these are explained in greater detail in the "5G Race" member section below:

Verizon

• 5GUW - mmWave and Verizon's C-Band mid-band spectrum
• 5G - Low-band / "Nationwide" 5G.

AT&T

• 5G+ - mmWave, and C-Band mid-band spectrum.
• 5G - Low-band / "Nationwide"
• 5Ge - LTE-Advanced (NOT real 5G, despite the label!)

T-Mobile

• 5GUC - mmWave & mid-band 5G.
• 5G - Low-band 5G.

Dish

• 5G - Low-band 5G. 

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Member Exclusive Content Below

Dynamic Spectrum Sharing

We discuss how 5G cooperates with the existing 4G network and spectrum, allowing a much smoother transition from 4G/LTE to 5G, and explain how and when this will affect mobile users.

Standalone vs Non-Standalone 5G

The first wave of 5G networks is mostly layered on top of existing 4G networks - but eventually, 5G networks will run standalone without needing 4G assistance, providing significant benefits. We explain the details in this section and why it's a factor consideration for mobile users

Fixed vs Mobile 5G

Not all 5G is intended for mobile usage - and many 5G devices (and data plans) are targeting fixed location installations to compete with cable and fiber internet. We discuss the important differences in these approaches and how they might be useful for nomads.

5G Cellular Gear

5G requires carriers and consumers to upgrade their gear for compatibility. This section discusses 5G compatibility with modems, antennas, and boosters and focuses on the key technologies and gear to look for.

5G Data Plans 

Here we summarize how 5G affects legacy and grandfathered data plans and looks at the current 5G data options and what we expect in the future. We also go into greater detail on how each carrier categorizes 5G access for data plans.

The 5G Race

All of the carriers are actively and competitively deploying 5G - in this section, we chronicle where Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile are in the race and give guidance on which carriers are best positioned for 5G now and in the future.

Is it Time to Embrace 5G?

5G has been out for a few years now - in this section, we give our analysis and advice on whether or not to jump into 5G and what factors nomads should be aware of.

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Concluding Thoughts

5G has developed to the point where it is no longer the domain of early adopters and bleeding-edge geeks, and it is now a mainstream technology, albeit a young and still developing technology.

For most mobile internet users, the cellular networks and most 5G devices have matured enough that an upgrade to 5G is something worth considering and evaluating.

It is just very important to be aware of the capabilities of the 5G device you buy to ensure it has a cellular modem that will be relevant in the future.

But there is also no need to rush to 5G either, especially if your existing 4G/LTE setup is working for you.