How fast is 5G?

How fast is 5G?

5G speeds will vary between locations, countries, carriers and devices, but on the whole the average internet speed you can expect should be much greater than what's currently offered on 4G.

We've been testing the first 5G networks in the US, UK, and Australia, and have found speeds to be a little bit of a mixed bag.

What is 5G?

5G networks are the next generation of mobile internet connectivity, offering faster speeds and more reliable connections on smartphones and other devices than ever before.

Combining cutting-edge network technology and the very latest research, 5G should offer connections that are multitudes faster than current connections, with average download speeds of around 1GBps expected to soon be the norm.

The networks will help power a huge rise in Internet of Things technology, providing the infrastructure needed to carry huge amounts of data, allowing for a smarter and more connected world.

5G networks are already starting to appear and are expected to launch across the world by 2020, working alongside existing 3G and 4G technology to provide speedier connections that stay online no matter where you are.

When will 5G launch?

In the Australia

Verizon surprised most of the world by launching its 5G network at the start of April 2019, making it the first globally to offer the next-generation network.

It's currently only available in limited parts of Chicago and a few other locations, and there are just two handsets currently available to use on the new 5G network.

In Chicago, US we've managed to obtain speeds of up to 1.4Gbps, which is massively faster than 4G's theoretical top speed of 300Mbps (although average speeds tend to be below 100Mbps). 

However, 5G coverage is patchy and we had to move around the city's various 5G masts to get this top speed. We did tend to get around 1Gbps quite consistently though.

5G in London, UK is more of a mixed bag, with speeds in our test ranging from 200Mbps to 550Mbps - still much quicker than 4G, but not the same level as we are seeing in Victoria