https://www.channelfutures.com/wp-content/themes/channelfutures_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • SDN/SD-WAN
    • Cloud
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Telephony/UC/Collaboration
    • Cable
    • Mobility & Wireless
    • Fiber/Ethernet
    • Data Centers
    • Backup & Disaster Recovery
    • IoT
    • Desktop
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Analytics
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Channel Research
    • Business Models
    • Distribution
    • Technology Solutions Brokerages
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Best Practices
    • Vertical Markets
    • Regulation & Compliance
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • MSP 501 Rankings
    • NextGen 101 Rankings
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • From the Industry
    • Reports/Digital Issues
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • Channel Futures TV
  • EMEA
  • Channel Chatter
    • Back
    • People on the Move
    • New/Changing Channel Programs
    • New Products & Services
    • Industry Honors
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Channel Futures 20: Top Tech Providers
    • Advisory Boards
    • Industry Organizations
    • Our Sponsors
    • Advertise
    • 2023 Editorial Calendar
  • Awards
    • Back
    • 2022 MSP 501
    • Channel Influencers
    • Circle of Excellence
    • DE&I 101
    • Technology Advisor 101 (TA 101)
    • Channel Leaders Lists
  • Events
    • Back
    • 2023 Call for Speakers
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • MSP Summit
    • Channel Partners Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
    • Industry Events
  • About Us
  • DE&I
Channel Futures
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • SDN/SD-WAN
    • Cloud
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Telephony/UC/Collaboration
    • Cable
    • Mobility & Wireless
    • Fiber/Ethernet
    • Data Centers
    • Backup & Disaster Recovery
    • IoT
    • Desktop
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Analytics
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Channel Research
    • Business Models
    • Distribution
    • Technology Solutions Brokerages
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Best Practices
    • Vertical Markets
    • Regulation & Compliance
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • MSP 501 Rankings
    • NextGen 101 Rankings
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • From the Industry
    • Reports/Digital Issues
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • Channel Futures TV
  • EMEA
  • Channel Chatter
    • Back
    • People on the Move
    • New/Changing Channel Programs
    • New Products & Services
    • Industry Honors
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Channel Futures 20: Top Tech Providers
    • Advisory Boards
    • Industry Organizations
    • Our Sponsors
    • Advertise
    • 2023 Editorial Calendar
  • Awards
    • Back
    • 2022 MSP 501
    • Channel Influencers
    • Circle of Excellence
    • DE&I 101
    • Technology Advisor 101 (TA 101)
    • Channel Leaders Lists
  • Events
    • Back
    • 2023 Call for Speakers
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • MSP Summit
    • Channel Partners Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
    • Industry Events
  • About Us
  • DE&I
    • Newsletter
  • REGISTER
  • MSPs
  • VARs / SIs
  • Agents
  • Cloud Service Providers
  • Channel Partners Events
 Channel Futures

Mobility & Wireless


Shutterstock

Global 5G

Big Carriers Blasted for 5G Speeds: ‘Compare Yourself to Other Countries’

  • Written by James Anderson
  • October 1, 2020
The U.S. is performing well in 5G availability, but average download speed is another story.

Average U.S. 5G network speeds lag behind that of other countries.

That’s according to Opensignal, which recently unveiled numbers around 5G network speed in 12 countries.

The data, collected between May and August, showed the U.S. lagging significantly behind its counterparts in 5G download speed. While the U.S. averaged 50.9 Mbps, Saudia Arabia averaged 414.2 Mbps.

Opensignal 5G

Source: Opensignal

Dave Sobel

MSP Radio’s Dave Sobel

MSP Radio founder Dave Sobel said the three major wireless carriers need to consider how they’re performing globally, not just domestically.

“You compare yourselves against one another all the time. Why are you not comparing yourself to other countries? Verizon points at T-Mobile. T-Mobile points at AT&T. They all point fingers at one another. Saudi Arabia is 14 times faster than you guys, according to real world data. Compare yourself to them,” Sobel said.

The U.S. did perform better on 5G availability, slotting into fifth with an active 5G connection of 19.3%. T-Mobile and AT&T both use low-band spectrum, which lends itself more to availability than to speed. Saudi Arabia once again led the countries with a 34.4 5G network availability.

Opensignal 5GAvailability

Source: Opensignal

And Then There’s Price

Nonprofit The Markup evaluated mobile plans costs and concluded that the U.S. prices rank third highest globally. That pairs poorly with the average download speeds.

Markup Mobile Costs

Source: The Markup

Sobel called the state of U.S. 5G “incredibly market-limiting.”

“We as an industry are dependent on these companies,” Sobel told Channel Partners. “We’re dependent on the carriers, and unless they do their bit, the rest of us are all just behind.”

Sobel said carriers too quickly blame the size of the U.S. for the slower average speeds.

“I’d buy that argument if New York and D.C. and San Francisco were blazing fast and they were struggling with the rural places. I’d buy that argument, but that’s not what’s actually happening.”

Eugene Jeong of PhoneArena.com toured New York City this summer to test Verizon’s 5G speeds. He enjoyed download speeds surpassing 1 Gbps in some parts of the city. However, he called 5G reception “finicky.” Users often need to stand still to utilize the “blazing-fast speed.”

“It can take a bit of searching to find a spot with an ideal connection, and even then the speed isn’t perfectly consistent. But real-life download speeds showed significant improvements over normal LTE connections,” Jeong wrote.

Analyst Perspective

Peter Rysavy, president of Rysavy Research, urged readers to not jump to conclusions, given that 5G is in its early stages. He also pointed to population density.

Peter Rysavy

Peter Rysavy

“The biggest determinants of performance are geography and spectrum. The United States has a lower average population density, so it takes longer to achieve the same coverage/performance as denser countries, such as in Asia,” he said.

Rysavy noted that the U.S. trails its peers in midband spectrum allocation.

“T-Mobile, with its 2.5 GHz spectrum, is achieving excellent midband performance. Verizon just acquired CBRS spectrum, which will bolster its midband performance,” he said. “But it will only be once C-band spectrum and 3.45-3.55 GHz can be deployed in the United States that the full potential of 5G will be realized here.”

T-Mobile’s Perspective

T-Mobile announced on Monday that it has added 121 cities and towns to its network. The company told Channel Partners that it offers …

  • Page 1
  • Page 2
Tags: Agents IoT Mobility & Wireless

Most Recent


  • Hybrid Work Model: Keeper Security, Open Systems, More Address Security Concerns
    The human element plays a big role in hybrid work security.
  • IoT Technology, state of telco channel
    State of the Telco Channel: Partners, Suppliers Weigh in on Challenges
    Transactional vs. transformational. Upmarket vs. down-market. Nuance abounds in the network services channel.
  • Microsoft Teams, Fusion Connect partnership
    Fusion Connect Drives Growth with Long-Term Investment in Microsoft Operator Connect
    The company says Teams has become more robust in the last three years.
  • OT organizations
    Fortinet: Cybercriminals Heavily Targeting OT Organizations
    There's lots of opportunities for partners to help OT organizations shore up their cybersecurity.

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your Channel Futures account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • Select a Hire
    Telarus Hires Megapath, Fusion Connect Vet Dan Foster as Latest CRO
  • 5G
    5G: Revolution or Evolution?
  • Security shield on digital background
    VMware Security Connect Focused on Redefining Security, Increasing Threats
  • Fortune 500 2021 logo
    AT&T, Microsoft, Verizon, More Tech, Telco Companies Make Latest Fortune 500

Upcoming Events

View all

Channel Partners Europe

June 13, 2023 - June 14, 2023

Channel Futures Leadership Summit

October 30, 2023 - November 2, 2023

Channel Partners Conference & Expo

March 11, 2024 - March 14, 2024

Galleries

View all

Hybrid Work Model: Keeper Security, Open Systems, More Address Security Concerns

May 31, 2023

VMware, Rackspace, Pax8, Dell on Cloud Trends Impacting Channel

May 31, 2023

Cyber Insurance: ThreatBlockr, Open Systems, Sectigo, More Address Challenges

May 30, 2023

Industry Perspectives

View all

Dell Technologies World: Dell Apex Expanded Across On-Premises, Cloud and Edge

May 22, 2023

Identity Is Increasingly Valuable – and Targeted

May 18, 2023

Gaining a Competitive Advantage through AV Managed Services

May 10, 2023

Webinars

View all

From Problem to Profit: Mastering the Science of Selling Using Business Outcomes

May 9, 2023

Meet the 2023 Channel Futures Channel Influencers

April 13, 2023

DE&I Dialogue: How the Right DE&I Initiatives Can Propel Your Business

April 5, 2023

White Papers

View all

6 UCaaS Reseller Challenges and How Real World Businesses Solved Them

February 1, 2023

Frost Radar: North American UCaaS Market, 2022

February 1, 2023

The Complete Guide to White-Label UCaaS for Reseller Success

February 1, 2023

Channel Futures TV

View all

Coffee with Craig and James Episode No. 123: MartinWolf M&A Advisors, CP Expo Preview

UScellular Takes On Rivals with Partner Program Simplicity

April 21, 2023

OpenText Simplifying Deal Registration, Doubling Down on MDF

April 21, 2023

Everything-as-a-Service: CloudBlue Touts Critical Customer Transition

April 18, 2023

Twitter

ChannelFutures

.@Zendesk #layoffs impacting 8% of global workforce. #cloud dlvr.it/Spxpsh https://t.co/Tb6pVTeF0R

May 31, 2023
ChannelFutures

.@Veeam urges partners to migrate customers with perpetual socket licenses to its Veeam Universal License.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

May 31, 2023
ChannelFutures

.@Alvaria_Inc's new channel leader is currently in "listening mode" with partners. dlvr.it/Spxk9Y https://t.co/bxhx1piPSL

May 31, 2023
ChannelFutures

#CPExpo roundtable tackles #hybridwork cybersecurity, with @keepersecurity, @ThreatBlockr, @RealOpenSystems,… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

May 31, 2023
ChannelFutures

.@8x8's new CEO has more than 25 years of executive experience in the technology sector. dlvr.it/SpxZsF https://t.co/ZjlABJvVH6

May 31, 2023
ChannelFutures

LIVE Tomorrow at 2PM EDT! Please join @Cynet360 to address ways in which automation can be implemented to beef up… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

May 31, 2023
ChannelFutures

Curious about #cloud trends in the channel? @VMware, @Rackspace, @Dell, @Pax8 chimed in at the recent #CPExpo!… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

May 31, 2023
ChannelFutures

Today we celebrate ⭐ Courtney Humphrey, one of our 50 #ChannelInfluencers of 2023 - celebrating leaders driving gro… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

May 31, 2023

MSP 501

The industry's largest and most comprehensive partner awards program.

Newsletters and Updates

Sign up for The Channel Report, Channel Futures Update, MSP 501 Newsletter and more.

Live Channel Events

Get the latest information on the next industry-leading Channel Partners event.

Galleries

Educational slide shows and images from live events.

Media Kit And Advertising

Want to reach our audience? Access our media kit.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • Channel Partners Events
  • Telecoms.com
  • MSP 501
  • Black Hat
  • IoT World Today
  • Omdia

WORKING WITH US

  • Contact
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Newsletter

FOLLOW Channel Futures ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X