What’s the deal with 5G in Houston?
The major carriers boast coverage in the area, but that doesn’t mean it’s of any use.
Earlier this month, Verizon turned on its 5G cellular data service in Houston. The week before that, T-Mobile announced its flavor of 5G would go live Dec. 6 in Houston and nationally. And, of course, Sprint launched its 5G service earlier this year. (AT&T still has its Houston 5G offering behind an invitation wall.)
Does this mean the era of 5G is upon us? Sadly, no. All these services are extremely limited in where they’re available in Houston, and there aren’t many devices yet that work with them. The state of 5G locally is muddy, raising a lot of questions. I’ll try to provide some answers.
Q. What exactly is 5G?
A. It’s the next generation of cellular data service, and it is expected to be much faster than the current standard, 4G LTE. Just as 4G gave rise to applications and services that have changed the way we live — even giving birth to new industries — 5G is expected to bring about similar change. That’s because in addition to being fast, it will have little lag, or latency. When you ask for information, it will come almost instantly. Combine that with artificial intelligence, access to a massive amount of information and being able to better connect things as well as people to the internet, and the potential is there for even more disruption — for better AND for worse.
Q. If 5G is limited in its availability in Houston, where can I get it?
A. Sprint has the best 5G coverage in Houston, and it has been around the longest, as you can see on the company’s coverage map (https://coverage.sprint.com/IMPACT.jsp), with service mostly inside Loop 610 and then moving west and northwest.
Verizon’s nascent service is located in a handful of neighborhoods (https:// www.verizonwireless.com/5g/coverage-map/ ?city=houston) near the center of town. Even then, it’s available only if you’re outside because Verizon is using a very high frequency that doesn’t penetrate buildings — or even dense foliage. If you look at the map for “East Downtown” for Verizon, you’ll see 5G is available in the area east of the George R. Brown Convention
Center — but strangely, not at the center, nor in adjacent Discovery Green.
Although T-Mobile has not yet shared detailed maps where its 5G will be when it’s turned on, the carrier’s version of 5G includes a frequency that’s already in use for 4G. It’s claiming it will have the biggest 5G footprint as a result.
AT&T is not at all transparent about where its nonpublic 5G service is. But just be aware that if your current AT&T device is showing “5G e” next to its signal strength indicator, that’s NOT 5G — just deceptive marketing surrounding its enhanced LTE service.
Q. When will 5G come to my part of town?
A. All the carriers who’ve launched service say they expect to expand it dramatically in 2020. Sprint may already be in your area, and T-Mobile likely will be when it switches on its network next month.
Next year will be a watershed for 5G, as carriers race to be ready with coverage for when the 800-pound gorilla of smartphones, the iPhone, is expected to have 5G capabilities.
Q. Will 5G cost me more?
A. For the moment, competition is keeping 5G pricing down. For example, Verizon says it normally will charge a $10 fee on top of monthly rates for 5G access, but that’s suspended for now except for those who subscribe to its lowest-price plan. Sprint isn’t charging more for 5G, but you must subscribe to one of its priciest unlimited plans. And T-Mobile, courting regulators and litigious attorneys general, has promised to keep prices low.
If you want 5G service, however, you’ll have to spend a lot on a phone. Most of the ones available are high-end, flagship smartphones in the $1,000plus range.
Q. Should I go ahead and get a 5G phone and service now?
A. I stand by what I wrote earlier this year (houstonchronicle.com/5Gtrain): It’s still too early for most folks to jump aboard the 5G train. The experience just won’t be that great. And if you’re an iPhone user, there isn’t any hardware support anyway.
No, it’s best just to wait and watch. By this time next year, it might be worth considering.
This story originally appeared in Dwight Silverman’s weekly Release Notes newsletter. Sign up for it at houstonchronicle.com/ releasenotes.