4G vs. 5G—How are they different?

4G vs. 5G

When 4G was first introduced in 2009, it opened up a whole new world of possibilities for mobile phones. There's now 5G, which is the fifth generation of wireless technology, and it promises to give cellular subscribers even greater service. 5G networks enable phones to reach new highs, lower latency for more responsive gaming and streaming, and open the door to breakthroughs in areas such as home Wi-Fi, robots, virtual reality, self-driving cars, and more.

Read on for an explanation of the differences between 4G and 5G networks, speeds, price, and more, as we've been keeping a close eye on their progress over the last year.

How fast is 4G vs. 5G

On the whole, 5G isn’t that much faster than 4G and LTE yet—but it’s creeping up in speed with each passing month. In isolated portions of major cities, some types of 5G (such as millimeter-wave) can give near-gigabit speeds.

In small towns and rural areas, where 5G networks are sparse, 4G still reigns supreme (or nonexistent). However, 5G is gaining traction in many places across the United States, with speeds ranging from somewhat faster than 4G LTE to exponentially faster by a large margin.

Because 5G networks provide signals in higher-frequency radio bands, you can get quicker speeds. Because some of these bands have previously had limited commercial use, they now have a lot more capacity for transmitting data over the airways.