A Global Perspective of 5G Network Performance
A Global Perspective of 5G Network Performance
Our Analysis of Network Performance and User Experience Results from sub-7.125 GHz and Millimeter Wave 5G Networks in Europe, Asia and North America
10/22/2019 | 41 pages
Key Highlights Include the Following:
5G-enabled smartphones are achieving substantially higher data speeds than their LTE brethren on a global basis. Depending on various factors, including loading on the LTE network and the amount of LTE and 5G bandwidth available, we’ve observed average gains of at least 2x with peak performance gains of 10x, or even higher.
In capacity-constrained LTE networks which also support 5G, the user experience is meaningfully enhanced with a 5G-capable smartphone. In addition to faster download times (5x or more), a 5G-capable smartphone improves video streaming with higher quality video resolution and reduced susceptibility to video stalls.
Millimeter wave is more resilient to the surrounding environment than generally perceived. Directional beams and reflections play a key role and they can lead to very interesting findings, including strong millimeter wave signals where they are least expected.
5G millimeter wave deployments are already occurring with very favorable results. We’ve documented close to ubiquitous coverage within the seating area of one NFL stadium, along with data speeds that frequently exceeded 1 Gbps and peaked at just over 2 Gbps.
5G can be more energy efficient than LTE, especially when supporting high bandwidth applications. With lower bandwidth applications, LTE tends to have the advantage, however, our analysis indicates that a full day’s battery life is highly likely with most usage scenarios.