The dawn of a faster internet connection is upon us as slowly but surely, telecommunications companies are preparing for the 5G wireless technology, with most smartphone makers ensuring their new devices are capable of supporting the network--and now, several countries could already connect to 5G.
Limited Verizon 5G Coverage
However, the new wireless technology is apparently slowing down Verizon's iPhone devices, as well as other 5G-capable smartphones, according to a report by PCMag.
As per the tech magazine, new iPhone devices along with the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and Google Pixel 5, among others, may be affected by the slow 5G network, and the solution is to turn it off completely for now.
According to the report, Verizon is one of America's fastest mobile network with its 4G LTE network that users say have been getting faster each year, as well as with its "ultra wideband" (UWB) 5G network.
Unfortunately, the network's UWB 5G network offers limited coverage at this point.
Back in October this year, Verizon has announced the "nationwide 5G," which is based on the dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) that reuses parts of 4G channels for its 5G network, making phones automatically connect to the latter instead of the former.
But, the 5G icon that pops up on our devices, including Apple's iPhone 12 Pro, is allegedly only for show.
Testing 5G Over 4G
As per the magazine's test using the Apple device in New York City, Verizon's DSS 5G network is rarely faster than 4G, and it's the same result they got from when they used a Pixel 5 in Chicago in October.
Furthermore, Signals Research conducted an experiment and found out that most of the "DSS 5G" traffic is traveling through LTE.
Nevertheless, it's not as surprising, given that the 5G network isn't fully operational.
"For most customers, performance on our 5G nationwide network will be similar to 4G. [DSS] is new technology and we're continuing to modify it as we go. We expect performance improvement through 2021 and beyond," a spokesperson for the company said.
Moreover, it's not only Verizon that is facing this challenge as even AT&T's "nationwide" 5G is also often slower than the company's 4G network.
How to Turn Off 5G on iOS and Android
However, some people might have different experiences with their Verizon and AT&T nationwide 5G, but in the event it is slower than your 4G network and might be affecting your phone's performance, PCMag recommends turning 5G off for now unless you have UWB.
To check if you have a 5G UWB connection, check the icon on your status bar--it should come with a "UW" or "UWB" symbol as well.
If you don't see that, you're using the DSS 5G, which is the slower version.
To turn your laggy DSS wireless connection, go to your iOS device's Settings > Cellular Data & Options > Voice & Data, and then tap on the LTE button, which would put your device in 4G mode.
If you have an Android device from Verizon, you may or may not be able to turn off your 5G network, but you can check your device's Settings > Connections > Mobile Network > Network Mode, and then choose LTE/CDMA if the option is available.
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Written by: Nhx Tingson
