LTE vs. 5G: Which Network is Right for You?

With all the 5G news swirling around as of late, it’s easy to get lost in the middle of it all. “LTE this, LTE that, 5G is better in this area but not this one,” if you think it’s time someone laid out the facts in terms everyone can understand, you’ve made it to the right place. Today we’ll compare the basics including coverage, realistic speeds, and latency. These aren’t all the factors that play into the pros and cons of these networks, but they are a good starting point when deciding on a data plan.

LTE was added to the term “4G” to signify the advancements that were made since the original inception of 4G in 2009. With over a decade of growth opportunities, it makes sense that LTE has a very expansive network that covers most of America. To visualize this, understand that 4G infrastructure was designed using a low-frequency spectrum to provide more coverage at lower speeds. 5G infrastructure will eventually outpace 4G, but will take some time because the high-frequency nature of the 5G spectrum requires access points to be deployed in a tighter area to provide high-speed service.  For now, 4G LTE covers more than 98% of Americans, which is why current 5G networks are being deployed on the backbone of existing 4G networks. This enables carriers to provide customers with high, mid, and low-band 5G when available and LTE fallback when out of range of 5G service.

LTE download speeds typically range from 50 – 250 Mbps, while 5G speeds can fluctuate between 100 Mbps and 1 Gbps in most areas. The reason for such varying speeds is the current infrastructure setup, with large cities seeing the fastest high-band speeds on average. Businesses who operate outside city limits or in surrounding suburbs should expect to be in the low to mid-band 5G service area and receive speeds around 100 Mbps and up, which are in line with the faster end of 4G LTE services. 5G separates itself from LTE when you venture into the high-band areas. As previously mentioned, large cities usually have the highest speeds and the most reliable infrastructure. Speeds in these locations can easily go over 1 Gbps and could theoretically reach up to 20 Gbps. This monumental potential gives 5G the edge, as the potential speeds will soon turn into actual as carriers expand on existing infrastructure.

Possibly the most important comparison in this list, the ultra-low latency offered by 5G enables numerous IoT applications that wouldn’t have been possible on LTE networks. 5G promises sub-five millisecond latency, whereas LTE latency currently averages between 60ms to 98ms. Near-zero latency will and has already begun to enable applications that were once thought to be science fiction. A few examples include self-driving cars, smart cities, and virtual reality opportunities like the Metaverse.

While 4G LTE is still a worthy competitor to 5G because of its expansive coverage, 5G will eventually outpace the service by a good amount. 5G is being built off the current LTE network, but as access point deployments increase will be able to transition to its own standalone network. Once that happens users will begin to see the possibilities of 5G, including ultra-low latency and download speeds well over 1 Gbps.