Verizon Isn't the Fastest Internet Provider Anymore, and a New Winner Has Been Crowned

Verizon Isn't the Fastest Internet Provider Anymore, and a New Winner Has Been Crowned

What's happening

Every three months, Ookla announces the results it gathers from info pulled from millions of customer uses of its Speedtest.net tool. Consider it a quarterly checkup on Americans' speeds from their internet service providers.

Why it matters

We've grown increasingly reliant on our home broadband connections for work and play, so the actual performance of those internet services is vital information.

Verizon has been knocked off the mountain. The latest Ookla Speedtest Intelligence report, released in late July, named Cox Communications as the fastest fixed broadband provider among top US internet service providers during the second quarter of 2022. To qualify as a top provider, a company must account for 3% or more of Ookla's total test samples. Verizon had finished on top in the first three months of 2022. 

In fact, Verizon had captured the top spot every quarter since the start of 2020. However, Ookla's report, which uses data from customer-run queries on Speedtest.net, now uses the median instead of the mean. So we're not exactly comparing apples to apples. The below image from Ookla's site gives an example of the difference.

Ookla

As an Ookla spokesperson told me via email: "We implemented this change to more accurately represent the typical performance that consumers actually experience on a network."

That means for the second quarter of 2022, Cox finished decisively on top with a median download speed of approximately 197 megabits per second. Xfinity, the runner-up, scored a median download speed of 184Mbps. Spectrum was third at 183Mbps, Verizon was next at 171Mbps, and AT&T capped off the top five at nearly 147Mbps.

Cox also did well regionally. It was the fastest fixed broadband provider in 14 of the 100 most populated cities in the country, including the fastest city in the US -- Gilbert, Arizona -- as well as Las Vegas, Phoenix and San Diego.

Additionally, it was the fastest ISP in four states: Arizona, Arkansas, Nevada and Oklahoma. Not bad, for sure, but Xfinity was top dog in 12 states, Spectrum in seven and Google Fiber and Verizon each won five states.

Despite its dominating performance at the top of the speed chart, Cox completely missed the top five regarding the fastest upload speeds. It registered a median upload speed just shy of 11Mbps. That was well below the top three providers of Frontier (113Mbps), Verizon (112Mbps) and AT&T (112Mbps). It also couldn't measure up to Xfinity (19Mbps), CenturyLink (12Mbps) or Spectrum (11.7Mbps).

That's not completely unexpected. The cable connections of Cox, Spectrum and Xfinity (or the DSL network of CenturyLink, for that matter) won't be able to compete with the higher upload speeds you can find with a fiber-optic internet connection, which AT&T, Frontier and Verizon all boast to a decent percentage within their respective footprints.

As Ookla continues its reporting throughout the year, it'll be interesting to see if any trends develop as it establishes the use of the median as its primary performance metric moving forward.

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Best Internet Providers in Seattle

Best Internet Providers in Seattle

As I see it, if a city can claim to be the birthplace of Starbucks and Jimi Hendrix, it must be doing something right. That said, Seattle isn't exactly in the espresso lane regarding high-speed internet options. While the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue region rings in as the country's 15th most populous metro area, it could only muster a showing at no. 96 among the fastest cities in the US for broadband.

That news arrived with the latest data from the Speed-testing company Ookla, which tracks the top 100 cities in the US and categorizes them based on their median download speeds. According to Ookla's report covering the second quarter of 2022, Seattle placed in the bottom five, two spots below Denver and one above Las Vegas, with a median download speed of 102 megabits per second. 

The Ookla report also noted that Seattle's fastest provider -- again, based on median download speed -- was Astound Broadband (also known in the area as Wave), a cable internet provider whose average speed was about 146 megabits per second. As we've written many times in CNET's broadband coverage, cable internet connections -- though offering fast speeds and decent reliability -- aren't the speediest mode available. That claim belongs to fiber internet. And while you can get fiber internet service in and around Seattle, each provider, including CenturyLink and Ziply Fiber, also supplies internet service via DSL connections, which are far slower than fiber and less dependable than cable. That brings those average speeds ba ck down to earth -- and it also means that there's a lot to keep track of if you're shopping for a new internet plan in Seattle. 

In any case, whether you've relocated to the area or are a long-time Seattleite, you've got some options for getting connected. Let's dive into your choices and explore the best internet service providers in the area.

Sarah Tew/CNET

• Price range: $49 to $65 a month
• Speed range: 200 to 940Mbps
• Highlights: No contracts, no data caps, and no equipment rental fee (gigabit plan only) 

To be clear, not all CenturyLink service in Seattle is fiber-optic internet service. According to the Federal Communication Commission's data, you'll still find DSL connections in many areas across the city, perhaps as much as 75% (though, admittedly, those December 2020 numbers aren't exactly current). But if you can get CenturyLink's fiber service you'll find a quality offering that features unlimited data and doesn't ask you to sign a term agreement to get the lowest price. It's also called Quantum Fiber in some, but not all, areas -- don't ask, it's just rebranding. 

Expect especially good value with the gigabit plan, which offers matching download and upload speeds of up to 940Mbps for $65 a month. That's an excellent value that comes out to 7 cents per Mbps, which is strong even by fiber standards. By comparison, cable plans typically run between 20 and 50 cents per Mbps, which goes even higher once the promo price wears off after a year. On top of that, your modem rental is included with CenturyLink's gigabit plan, which costs an additional $15 a month if you choose the 200Mbps option.

Most of CenturyLink's fiber service will be in and around Seattle, but some people will find availability as far south as Bonney Lake, Gig Harbor and Orting. You can also find it east of Seattle in Issaquah or west of the city in Poulsbo, just off Liberty Bay.

Read our CenturyLink home internet review.

CenturyLink

Sarah Tew/CNET

• Price range: $20 to $300 a month
• Speed range: 50 to 6,000Mbps
• Highlights: A wide range of plans to help you customize for your needs, good customer satisfaction numbers
• Special offers: Bundle discounts with Xfinity Mobile

You'll have to look far and wide before finding a provider that offers as many options as Comcast's cable internet service, Xfinity. Seven different tiers help you find the right fit for your household, from one of the area's cheapest internet plans (50Mbps for $20 a month) to the region's fastest residential offering (6,000Mbps for $300 a month). 

Xfinity's Gigabit Pro is notable not just for its superior speed but also because it's Xfinity's only fiber-to-the-home product. That means you'll get symmetrical download and upload speed, whereas all other Xfinity plans will have a max upload speed of 10 to 35Mbps. That said, Gigabit Pro is limited to select addresses, so there's a good chance it isn't available at yours. It isn't exactly cheap, either -- it's one of the most expensive broadband plans out there. You'll get a lot, but you'll pay a lot, too.

Xfinity also does well in customer satisfaction surveys. It scored two points above the industry average in the most recent American Customer Satisfaction Index report and finished above average in all four regions of the J.D. Power study for 2021.

So why isn't it best overall? Cable, contracts and caps. Cable internet, while reliable, doesn't perform as well as fiber internet, with upload speeds limited to 35Mbps. Also, to get the best promo rates with Xfinity, you'll have to sign a contract (usually one year, but Gigabit Pro requires a two-year commitment). Finally, all Xfinity plans have a monthly data cap of 1.2 terabytes. You can sign up for unlimited data, but that'll add extra fees to your monthly bill. 

Read our Xfinity home internet review.

Xfinity Internet

Sarah Tew/CNET

• Price range: $50 a month ($30 for eligible T-Mobile Magenta Max customers)
• Speed range: 33 to 182Mbps
• Highlights: Unlimited data, equipment included, no contracts, no additional fees
• Special offers: Price Lock guarantee, 15-day Test Drive, free Paramount Plus for 12 months, 50% off YouTube TV for a year (for eligible Magenta Max customers)

T-Mobile has been aggressively campaigning for its home internet product. Exhibit A: Its recent "Internet Freedom" push includes the tagline, "Free yourself from internet BS." T-Mobile Home Internet is appealingly simple, as one monthly fee covers all your equipment needs and you won't have to worry about term agreements, data caps or added fees. Customers seem to be responding well, too: T-Mobile Home Internet was second only to Verizon Fios in the ACSI survey of Americans' satisfaction with their ISPs.

Additionally, T-Mobile offers a $20 discount for eligible Magenta Max customers. All new customers, no matter if they're also wireless customers or not, can try the service for 15 days without penalty and with a full money-back guarantee.

The biggest catch with T-Mobile Home Internet is that it still isn't widely available. While the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue market is among the 40 million households that can get it, you'll still need to determine if it's available at your address. For example, I can get T-Mobile 5G cell service at home, but my address still isn't eligible for T-Mobile Home Internet. To follow up on your household's availability, plug in your address (T-Mobile customers can also use their mobile phone number) on the T-Mobile Home Internet site.

Read our T-Mobile Home Internet overview.

Sarah Tew/CNET

• Price range: $20 to $50 a month 
• Speed range: 100 to 940Mbps
• Highlights: Ultra competitive promo rates, no contract requirements

This cable internet provider is tough to beat regarding competitive starting rates. Case in point: Its cheapest plan matches the most affordable Xfinity tier at $20 but doubles its speed (Xfinity's $20 plan features 50Mbps download speed, while Astound gets your speeds up to 100Mbps). That means you're getting a decent value of 20 cents per Mbps compared to Xfinity's higher cost per Mbps of 40 cents.

You can emphasize that value further when you look at Astound's gigabit plan, which offers 940Mbps for $50 per month. That comes out to a stellar 5 cents per Mbps. That's the best value you'll find from any plan, no matter the provider, throughout the Seattle area.

But (and you had to feel it coming), there's a caveat: Astound Broadband features some of the highest one-year price increases among ISPs. Per the company's rate card, that $20 plan could jump up as high as $70 a month. While a spokesperson for the company told CNET that most customers would not see a full increase to the standard retail rate, I think you need to be aware of what might await you after the rosy returns of the first 12 months.

Read our Astound Broadband review.

Overview of Seattle internet providers

	Astound Broadband/Wave	CenturyLink	Google Fiber Webpass	T-Mobile Home Internet	Xfinity
Internet technology	Cable	DSL/fiber	Fixed wireless	Fixed wireless	Cable
Monthly price range	$20 to $50	$49 to $65	$63 to $70	$50	$20 to $300
Speed range	100 to 940Mbps	20 to 940Mbps	1,000Mbps	33 to 182Mbps	50 to 6,000Mbps
Monthly equipment costs	$12 (skippable)	$15 (skippable)	None	None	$14 (skippable)
Data cap	400GB to Unlimited	None	None	None	1.2TB
Contract	None	None	None	None	1 year
CNET review score	N/A	6.7	7.4	N/A	7

Which other internet providers offer service in Seattle?

The city set on the Puget Sound has more ISPs seeking your business than the four we highlighted above. Here are some of the other internet providers in Seattle. 

• Google Fiber Webpass : Don't be confused by the fiber in the name. This is a fixed-wireless option from Google Fiber that's focused solely on apartment buildings. Even though it's not fiber internet, it's still plenty zippy: It offers symmetrical gigabit speeds for $70 a month (or an average of $63 a month if you sign up for the yearly plan, but it requires a full, $750 upfront payment). Webpass also features free installation, unlimited data and no equipment fees. If your building cannot support the full gig speeds, Webpass will reduce the pricing. Google Fiber Webpass is pretty much centered within Seattle city limits, including the neighborhoods of Belltown, Capitol Hill, First Hill, Fremont, Queen Anne and Uptown.

• Satellite internet : This always feels a bit like cheating, but it must be said that no matter which city or area in which you live in the US, this mode of internet connectivity is always an option. Is it a great option for Seattle residents? If you live in the city, no. You'll have much faster and cheaper choices available to you. Even areas south of Tacoma or north of Everett should have some viable alternatives, but if you do find yourself in a rural town with limited options, then you might consider it. HughesNet and Viasat will be your top picks, although both require you to commit to a two-year contract. A more intriguing possibility is Starlink, which is not a viable option at the moment -- the Starlink availability map notes the Seattle area is on the waitlist until 2023. Once it arrives, it promises faster download speed s and no data cap or term agreement.

• Verizon 5G Home Internet : Why choose Verizon's fixed wireless home internet product over T-Mobile Home Internet? On the plus side, it has a much faster average download speed (300Mbps) than T-Mobile and, if you're among eligible Verizon Wireless subscribers, it's cheaper too, with the same "all-in" approach where equipment, installation and fees are all covered in your flat, monthly rate. Where it falls short of T-Mobile is availability. Its exclusive use of its 5G network -- T-Mobile uses its 4G LTE network in addition to 5G, to more quickly boost its territory -- means it doesn't quite hit the same reach. 

• Ziply Fiber : Despite being relatively new to the game -- it launched services in the middle of 2020 -- Ziply Fiber is a viable option if you're eligible for its fiber internet, which boasts unlimited data and no long-term contract requirements. However, despite its name, some of its footprint includes the much slower DSL type. A Ziply spokesperson tells CNET that the company is active in building out a fiber alternative for those communities, including over 80 projects in Seattle and the greater Northwest. Also of note, Ziply Fiber is rolling out several multigigabit plans as well. Confirmed cities around Seattle where multigig plans are currently available include Bellevue, Bothell, Brier, Edmonds, Everett, Kenmore, Kirkland, Lake Stevens, Lynnwood, Marysville, Mill Creek, Mountlake Terrace, Mukilteo, Redmond, Shoreline, Snohomish and Woodinville.

Scenic view of the Space Needle and the Seattle skyline with Mount Rainier in the distance.

Donald Miralle/Getty Images

Is there more to know about home internet in Seattle?

As any good shopper knows, you have to look beyond just the brand name to know if you're getting a good deal. The same is true when evaluating internet providers in Seattle. You need to go further than just our overview to get more specific details about the available internet plans in the Emerald City. So let's take a deeper dive into both the cheapest internet plans in the area, as well as the fastest internet plans you can get in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue region.

Seattle home internet pricing 

When you consider the starting prices of all ISPs (which takes into account the promo prices, not the regular rates that take hold after a year), the average price for internet service in Seattle is just under $42 a month. That's about the middle of the pack among the cities CNET has examined up to this point. That includes Brooklyn ($36 a month), Los Angeles ($38 a month), San Francisco ($40 a month), New York ($41 per month), Austin ($43 a month), Houston ($45 per month) and, all at $50 a month, Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Orlando, San Diego and St. Louis. 

But digging in a bit on specific options, you'll find the lowest starting price of $20 a month shared by three providers: Astound Broadband, Xfinity and Ziply Fiber. Both Xfinity and Ziply Fiber feature 50Mbps download speeds at that price point but Astound Broadband doubles that to 100Mbps. However, it does have a data cap (400GB) that is less than half of Xfinity's data cap (1.2TB). Ziply Fiber, on the other hand, features unlimited data. So, depending on your household's usage and needs, you have a few elements to consider. 

Also, whenever talking about cheap internet, we should always mention there are additional, low-income internet options. Such is the case in Seattle. All providers we've mentioned participate in the FCC's Affordable Connectivity Program, which gives a $30 a month discount to eligible low-income households for high-speed internet. You can use the ACP towards any internet plan (not just the cheapest ones) from participating providers. Additionally, multiple providers joined forces with the White House on its plans to address the digital divide and will make available plans of at least 100Mbps that customers would essentially get for free once joined with the ACP discount. 

Cheap internet plans in Seattle

Provider	Starting monthly price	Standard monthly price	Max download speed	Monthly equipment fee	Data cap
Ziply Fiber 50/50	$20	$40	50Mbps	$10	None
Xfinity Connect	$20	$50	50Mbps	$14 (skippable)	1.2TB
Astound Broadband/Wave	$20	$70	100Mbps	$12 (skippable)	400GB
HughesNet	$45	$65	25Mbps	$15 or $450 one-time purchase	2 years
CenturyLink/Quantum Fiber	$49	$49	200Mbps	$15 (skippable)	None
T-Mobile Home Internet	$50	$50	182Mbps	None	None
Verizon 5G Home Internet	$50	$50	300Mbps	None	None
Viasat	$50	$70	12Mbps	$13 or $299 one-time purchase	2 years
Google Fiber Webpass	$70 ($63 with year commitment)	$70 ($63 with year commitment)	1,000Mbps	None	None

Internet speeds in Seattle

As I mentioned near the start of this article, Seattle isn't exactly lighting things up on the dial when it comes to average download speeds. That said, you can find plenty of options if you feel the need for extreme speed. The main caveat is that some of the fastest plans in the area aren't widely available throughout the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue region. But some of our friends in the Bellevue area, for example, should have access to some of Ziply Fiber's fastest, multi-gig plans. Select addresses throughout Seattle may be able to access Comcast's Gigabit Pro plan, which is the absolute fastest in the area (at least for the moment) with symmetrical speeds of 6,000Mbps. 

Fastest internet plans in Seattle

Provider	Starting monthly price	Max download speed	Max upload speed	Data cap	Contract
Xfinity Gigabit Pro	$300	6,000Mbps	6,000Mbps	1.2TB	2 years
Ziply Fiber 5 Gig	$300	5,000Mbps	5,000Mbps	None	None
Ziply Fiber 2 Gig	$120	2,000Mbps	2,000Mbps	None	None
Xfinity Gigabit	$80	1,200Mbps	35Mbps	1.2TB	1 year
Ziply Fiber Gig	$60	1,000Mbps	1,000Mbps	None	None
Google Fiber Webpass	$70 ($63 with year commitment)	1,000Mbps	1,000Mbps	None	None
CenturyLink/Quantum Fiber	$65	940Mbps	940Mbps	None	None
Astound Broadband/Wave	$50	940Mbps	10Mbps	None	None

What's the bottom line on Seattle internet?

If you've been keeping up on CNET's coverage of the best internet providers across the country -- and I certainly hope you have -- you may have noticed there are fewer options in Seattle than you find in other big US cities. On the other hand, Seattle can brag that it's got both more cheap internet options than most towns, and more multi-gig providers too. They're kinda spread out throughout the area, but they're there. Xfinity's seven different cable internet plans are the most widely available in Seattle but Astound Broadband's three cable internet tiers are cheaper and don't require you to sign a contract to get the lowest price. But as we always say, if you're serviceable for fiber internet -- and in Seattle that includes CenturyLink, Ziply Fiber or, in rarer cases, Xfinity's Gigabit Pro plan -- that should be your top option. 

Best internet providers in Seattle FAQs

What's the cheapest internet in Seattle?

On the surface, it's a flat-out tie between Astound Broadband, Xfinity and Ziply Fiber. Each provider offers a cheap internet plan that starts at $20 a month. However, each offers something different. Both Xfinity and Ziply Fiber feature plans with a maximum download speed of 50Mbps for that $20 monthly fee. Astound Broadband, however, doubles those plans, with a download speed of 100Mbps. So, while each provider has a $20-a-month plan, the Astound option is the cheapest, with a lower cost per Mbps of 20 cents compared to 40 cents for Xfinity and Ziply Fiber.

Can you get fiber internet in Seattle?

Yes. Both CenturyLink and Ziply Fiber offer 100% fiber-optic internet plans featuring symmetrical download and upload speeds. However, neither provider exclusively offers fiber plans. Each also includes DSL connections within their networks, so you must ensure your address is serviceable for the higher-quality fiber internet, not just DSL.

Which provider offers the fastest internet plan in Seattle?

The fastest residential internet plan you can find in Seattle is currently Xfinity's Gigabit Pro plan, which features 6,000Mbps of symmetrical speed. However, since most of Xfinity's network is a hybrid fiber-cable connection, customers will need to reach out to Comcast Xfinity (and schedule a site survey) to find out if your address is eligible for the plan. For most residents in the Seattle area, the more accessible multi-gig plan may be Ziply Fiber's 2-gig or 5-gig tiers.

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Huawei says US ban will 'significantly harm' American jobs, companies

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Huawei says US ban will 'significantly harm' American jobs, companies

Chinese tech giant Huawei says its blacklisting by the US will harm jobs, industry and economics in the states.

"This decision is in no one's interest," Huawei said in a statement Thursday. "It will do significant economic harm to the American companies with which Huawei does business, affect tens of thousands of American jobs and disrupt the current collaboration and mutual trust that exist on the global supply chain."

Huawei added that it will immediately seek remedies against the decision and "find a resolution."

The company had been added to the US Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security Entity List late Wednesday, following an executive order from President Donald Trump effectively banning Huawei from US communications networks. Among other things, the Entity List applies to companies engaging in "activities contrary to US national security and/or foreign policy interests," according to the bureau's website.

The core issue with Huawei has been concerns over its coziness with the Chinese government and fears that its equipment could be used to spy on other countries and companies. The CIA has reportedly warned intelligence officials that Huawei receives funding from China's National Security Commission, the People's Liberation Army and a third branch of the Chinese state intelligence network.

Trump's executive order declared that foreign adversary threats to communications networks, technology and services are a national emergency. Huawei has repeatedly denied that its products pose a security threat, following Australia banning Huawei from 5G in August.

In its statement Thursday, Huawei called itself "the unparalleled leader in 5G" and said the US ban would lead to the states "lagging behind" in deployment of the next-generation networking technology.

"We are ready and willing to engage with the US government and come up with effective measures to ensure product security," Huawei said. "Restricting Huawei from doing business in the US will not make the US more secure or stronger; instead, this will only serve to limit the US to inferior yet more expensive alternatives."

Read: Samsung has the most to gain from Google putting Huawei on ice

Is the threat real?

Huawei denies it has strong ties to the Chinese government. But even if the allegations were true, company officials told CNET in an interview that the security threat is still minimal simply because of the way communications networks are built. 

"We don't control the customer network," Andy Purdy, Huawei's chief security officer, said in an interview with CNET. "The carriers do. China can order us to do whatever the hell they want. But if we don't have access to the customer data, we can't send it back to China."

He went on to explain that mobile operators source their equipment from multiple vendors, which isn't only a good cyber security practice but also makes good business sense. 

Francis Dinha, CEO of the security software company OpenVPN, agrees that operators use equipment from multiple vendors and said it's the wireless operators who are ultimately responsible for securing their networks.

"You shouldn't trust any equipment manufacturer, no matter where the company is from, in terms of security," he said. "Operators are not stupid. They know they need to build a different layer of security to really cope with these problems."

Still, Dinha acknowledges that lawmakers and national security policy experts have valid concerns about Huawei's relationship with China, even though the company says it can't be compelled to spy for the Chinese government.

"I'm not saying that you should trust China and simply take their word that they can't be ordered to do something malicious," he said. "You shouldn't. But there are ways to mitigate these risks by building in layers of security."

Huawei's Purdy said that the company is open to discussing how it can work with US officials to ensure that 5G networks are protected, but so far no one is willing to talk.

"Because of the hostility against Huawei, there is a lack of willingness to let the experts talk about the facts," he said. "There are new standards in risk mitigation capabilities that are out there, we can address the risk."

He said he's hopeful those lines of communication will open soon.

The cost of not doing business with Huawei

Don Morrissey, head of Congressional, State and Local Government Affairs for Huawei, said it's in the best interest of the US to find a way to work with Huawei. He said that limiting access to an important 5G vendor for equipment will limit competition, which will raise costs for building these networks. Providers will ultimately pass those costs on to consumers.

He also added there are other economic concerns as Huawei sources some of its components from US companies.  

"We spent $11 billion with American companies last year," he said. "That's American companies in Idaho, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Michigan, Arizona, California and New York."

CNET's Steven Musil contributed to this report.

Updated 2:44 pm PT: Added comments from Huawei executives and Francis Dinha of OpenVPN.

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After years of hype and a bumpy first year of launches, carrier 5G networks are here and, most importantly, 5G-compatible phones like the iPhone 12 and Pixel 5. (Samsung's next expected flagship phone, the Galaxy S21, will likely feature 5G too.) The technology is supposed to change your life with its revolutionary speed and responsiveness. But before we get into that, it's important to understand what it is, when and how it will affect you, and how to distinguish between (the still growing) hype and the reality. 

In 2019, CNET held a massive speed test of 5G networks around the world, spanning from Chicago to London to Sydney to Seoul. The results were a mix of ludicrous speeds, but limited range and spotty coverage. Conversely, you would see wider coverage with a modest bump in speed. You also saw devices like the SamsungGalaxy S10 5G roll out. The early generation of 5G phones boasted impressive speeds at times, but we cautioned against buying them because of compatibility issues and other problems that arise with new technology. 

Just like with everything else, you have to give 5G some time to mature. 

And over the course of 2020, things have gotten much better. Carriers continue to expand 5G coverage into more cities, and new devices compatible with multiple networks are coming out, with AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon all now announcing nationwide coverage. But just how quickly that life-changing aspect of 5G will arrive remains up in the air. That's exacerbated by the novel coronavirus, which has locked down millions around the world, slowing down the 5G rollout and dampening consumer enthusiasm for pricey new devices, even with those stimulus checks. 

All this means 5G is advancing from years of promises -- ever since Verizon talked about moving into the area four and a half years ago to AT&T kicking off the first official mobile network at the end of 2018 and T-Mobile going nationwide in December -- to becoming reality for more consumers. Beyond a big speed boost, 5G has been referred to as foundational tech that'll supercharge areas like self-driving cars, virtual and augmented reality and telemedicine services such as remote surgery. It will eventually connect everything from farming equipment to security cameras and, of course, your smartphone. 

But what exactly is 5G? Why are people so excited? The following is a breakdown of why the next generation of wireless technology is more than just a boost in speed. (If you're really interested, check out our glossary of 5G terms.)

What is 5G?

It's the next (fifth) generation of cellular technology, and it promises to greatly enhance the speed, coverage and responsiveness of wireless networks. How fast are we talking? Carriers like Verizon and AT&T have shown speeds surging past 1 gigabit per second.

That's 10 to 100 times speedier than your typical cellular connection, and even faster than anything you can get with a physical fiber-optic cable going into your house. (In optimal conditions, you'll be able to download a season's worth of Stranger Things in seconds.)

Is it just about speed?

No! One of the key benefits is something called low latency. You'll hear this term a lot. Latency is the response time between when you click on a link or start streaming a video on your phone, which sends the request up to the network, and when the network responds, delivering you the website or playing your video.

That lag time can last around 20 milliseconds with current networks. It doesn't seem like much, but with 5G, that latency gets reduced to as little as 1 millisecond, or about the time it takes for a flash on a normal camera. 

That responsiveness is critical for things like playing an intense video game in virtual reality or for a surgeon in New York to control a pair of robotic arms performing a procedure in San Francisco. You know that little lag when you're on a Zoom video conference call? 5G will help eliminate some of those awkward, "Sorry, you go ahead" moments after people talk over each other. That lag time won't completely go away, especially if you're communicating with someone halfway around the world. The distance matters, since that info still has to travel there and back. 

But a virtually lag-free connection means self-driving cars have a way to communicate with each other in real time -- assuming there's enough 5G coverage to connect those vehicles. 

We're not quite there yet with existing 5G networks, but the industry is working to trim down that latency so those hypotheticals become reality.

Are there other benefits?

A 5G network is designed to connect a far greater number of devices than a traditional cellular network does. That internet of things trend you keep hearing about? 5G can power multiple devices around you, whether it's a dog collar or a refrigerator. 

In addition, the 5G network was built to handle gear used by businesses, such as farm equipment or ATMs, and can adjust for differing needs. For example, some products like sensors for farming equipment don't need a constant connection. Those kinds of low-power scanners are intended to work on the same battery for 10 years and still be able to periodically send data.

Will it cost more?

Verizon requires its customers to sign up for one of its newest plans, and to get access to the fastest flavor of 5G, you'll need to get one of its top two most expensive plans (out of a total of four).

AT&T likewise requires that you sign up for one of its premium tiers of unlimited data plans. 

"5G brings capabilities that are going to cause us to think different about pricing," AT&T said. "We expect pricing to be at a premium to what we charge today."

But Jeff McElfresh, CEO of AT&T Communications, which is the wireless, broadband and subscription video services arm of the telecom and media giant, teased that more affordable 5G is coming. 

"You should not assume that 5G is an exclusive capability for the most expensive handsets and found only in the most expensive rate plans," he said in an interview in May. "The speed at which the technology is beginning to make its way into the network is unparalleled."

There's precedent for holding the line on pricing: LTE didn't cost any more when it first came out; you just needed to buy a new phone. But pricing models do change over time. Since 4G launched, carriers have both taken away unlimited plans and brought them back. 

Verizon's home broadband service costs $50 for wireless subscribers, and $70 for everyone else. Those are in line with other broadband costs. (You can find out if you're eligible for the service here.)

T-Mobile, for its part, throws 5G into all of its plans, including grandfathered Sprint plans.

(Here's a breakdown of the carrier plans you need for 5G.) 

How does it work?

In the US, 5G initially used super high-frequency spectrum, which has shorter range but higher capacity, to deliver a massive pipe for online access. Think of it as a glorified Wi-Fi hotspot. 

But given the range and interference issues, the carriers are also using lower-frequency spectrum -- the type used in today's networks -- to help ferry 5G across greater distances and through walls and other obstructions. 

At the end of 2019, launched a nationwide network using even lower-frequency spectrum, which can spread further. T-Mobile is now using Sprint's 2.5 GHz spectrum to add more speed to its network. AT&T also launched nationwide coverage in July. Verizon followed on in October, in time for the iPhone 12 launch. 

The result is that the insane speeds companies first promised won't always be there, but we'll still see a boost beyond what we get today with 4G LTE. 

Wait, so there are different flavors of 5G?

At the risk of complicating things further, yes. That low-band spectrum -- the type used in 3G and 4G networks -- is what gives carriers a wide range of coverage. But the speeds are only marginally better than 4G. In some cases, they're almost the same. But that wide range is key for covering as many people as possible. 

The opposite end of the scale is the super high-frequency band, known as millimeter-wave spectrum, that carriers like Verizon rolled out early on. You get tremendous speeds, but the range is short and it has trouble penetrating windows and walls. 

Then there's midband spectrum like Sprint's 2.5 GHz swath. Around the world, it's the most commonly used type of spectrum since it offers the best mix of speed and and range. In the US, only T-Mobile has access to this kind of spectrum for now. 

Where do these carriers get the spectrum?

Some of these carriers already control small swaths of high-frequency radio airwaves, but many will have to purchase more from the government. Carriers around the world are working with their respective governments to free up the necessary spectrum. In the US, the Federal Communications Commission is holding more auctions for so-called millimeter wave and mid-band spectrum, which all the carriers are participating in.  

How did the launch go?

Between the end of 2018 through the first few months of last year, the carriers were racing to claim some sort of "first." Verizon and AT&T launched their mobile 5G networks, while KT said a robot in South Korea was its first 5G customer. Sprint turned on its network in June, followed shortly thereafter by T-Mobile. UK carrier EE was the first in its country to turn on 5G. 

Sounds great, right?

Verizon launched the first "5G" service in the world in October 2018, but it's a bit of a technicality. The service, called 5G Home, is a fixed broadband replacement, rather than a mobile service. An installer has to put in special equipment in your house or apartment that can pick up the 5G signals and turn that into a Wi-Fi connection in the home so your other devices can access it. 

There was also some debate about whether the service even qualified as 5G: It didn't use the standards the industry has agreed on. The company wanted to jump out ahead, and used its own proprietary technology. Verizon argued that the speeds, which range from 300 megabits per second to 1 gigabit per second, qualify the service for 5G designation. Its rivals and other mobile experts dispute that claim. 

The launch was extremely limited in select neighborhoods in Houston, Indianapolis, and Los Angeles and Sacramento, California. (Let us know if you're among the lucky few who got it.) It has since switched to industry-standard equipment. In September, Verizon expanded the home service to St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota and said it was in eight markets. Verizon Wireless CEO Ronan Dunne said he expects a big push to 5G Home in the coming months. 

At the end of December 2018, AT&T turned on its mobile 5G network in a dozen cities and more specifically in "dense urban and high-traffic areas." Take note, Verizon: AT&T boasted that it's the "first and only company in the US to offer a mobile 5G device over a commercial, standards-based mobile 5G network." But access to these networks were initially limited to preferred business customers, and consumers weren't able to access this super-fast service for all of 2019.

Where is 5G available?

This is pretty complicated question depending on your carrier, region and what specific flavor of 5G you're talking about. 

A lot of countries have been using that midband spectrum, with its nice mix of range and speed, and coverage has improved steadily since the launch -- even if there are plenty of dead spots still. But in the US, the picture is more fragmented. 

All three carriers in the US claim nationwide coverage, but they use that lower-frequency spectrum that often looks a lot like a glorified 4G signal. At launch, T-Mobile said people could expect a speed bump of about 20 percent over 4G, which for many consumers isn't fast enough to be noticeable. 

AT&T also has a low-band network. The company said in June that it covers 355 markets with its broader ranging 5G, which like T-Mobile's network, is only incrementally faster than 4G. 

Verizon said it is using spectrum from its existing 4G network to power a the more wide-ranging 5G network. It's using a technology called Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (think of rerouting the faster lanes of a freeway between 4G and 5G on the fly) to power this move. 

When it comes to that super-fast millimeter wave flavor, Verizon is the main standard bearer. The company's so-called 5G UW is in more than 60 markets. 

AT&T says its millimeter wave network is in parts of 36 cities. 

T-Mobile said it has its millimeter wave network in parts of six cities, including New York, Dallas and Los Angeles. The company also has the advantage of absorbing the midband spectrum that Sprint was using to power its own 5G network. That spectrum covers 410 cities and towns in the US. 

What about that home broadband service?

Verizon's 5G Home service, which initially launched using proprietary technology, is not utilizing industry-standard 5G, which has resulted in broader availability and higher speeds. But the service is still limited to six cities. In late June, Houston got an upgrade to the industry-standard 5G, resulting in better service. The company says it plans to have 10 total markets with 5G Home. 

T-Mobile, meanwhile, has talked about the opportunity to offer 5G service as a replacement for broadband, but has offered little details. 

What about this 5G E thing from AT&T?

Sorry, but that's more marketing fluff. AT&T's 5G E stands for 5G Evolution, or its upgraded 4G LTE network that has a path to real 5G. 

But the designation, which showed up on phones in early 2019, has caused some consumer confusion, with some thinking they already have 5G. To be clear, it's not, with many bashing AT&T for misleading customers. Sprint filed a lawsuit against AT&T, which, according to an AT&T spokesperson, the companies "amicably settled." The National Advertising Review Board has recommended that AT&T stopping using the term in its marketing, although the icon on your AT&T phone remains. 

AT&T has said it's "proud" that it went with the 5G E name. 

5G E does bring higher speeds, but not the kind of true benefits real 5G would bring. 

What about all the other 5G names?

Yeah, it's super confusing. Beyond the fake 5G E name, there are legit labels like Verizon's 5G UW (for Ultra Wideband), which signals the fastest flavor of 5G (using millimeter wave). AT&T is calling its super-fast next-generation network 5G Plus, while using 5G as a label for the service running on lower frequency spectrum. 

Here's a rundown of all the different marketing labels applied to 5G. 

Can I pick up 5G with my existing smartphone?

Sorry, no. 5G technology requires a specific set of antennas to tap into specific bands. Last year's Samsung Galaxy S10 5G is tuned for Verizon's network and its millimeter wave spectrum. This year's Samsung Galaxy S20 5G is compatible with more networks, but there's still a specific variant for Verizon that taps into its "UW" network. 

Most of the early 2019 phones used Qualcomm's X50 modem, which is designed specifically to tap into specific 5G bands. Phones launching this year will use a second-generation chip that picks up more spectrum bands. 

There have been a huge proliferation of 5G phones, even if they're largely still premium devices, and the phones are able to ride on different networks. 

Are all the phones premium devices?

Mostly, but tha'ts changing. But the industry is working hard to drive down the prices. AT&T's McElfresh said he was working to get phone prices down so they're more accessible. 

And Verizon Wireless CEO Dunne teased a $400 device by the end of 2020. That turned out to be the TCL 10 5G. In January, T-Mobile launched the OnePlus Nord N10 5G for $300. 

Here's what needs to happen before the industry can bring affordable 5G to the masses.

Anything I should worry about?

High-frequency spectrum is the key to that massive pickup in capacity and speed, but there are drawbacks. The range isn't great, especially when you have obstructions such as trees or buildings. As a result, carriers will have to deploy a lot more small cellular radios, creatively named small cells, around any areas that get a 5G signal. 

That's going to annoy anyone who doesn't want cellular radios near them. 

How will the carriers get 5G to more people?

T-Mobile and AT&T are utilizing its lower bandwidth spectrum to get 5G into more areas. Verizon lacks that lower bandwidth, so it's using a technology called Dynamic Spectrum Sharing that allows it to use its existing spectrum for its 4G networks to also power 5G. AT&T is likewise testing this. 

What about health risks?

There have long been lingering concerns that cellular signals may cause cancer. Unfortunately, there haven't been a lot of studies to conclusively prove or disprove a health risk. 

That opens the door to concerns about 5G. While some of those networks will run at super-high frequencies, researchers note that it still falls under the category of radiation that isn't supposed to be harmful to our cells. 

Critics say there isn't enough research into this issue and that the studies that have been conducted weren't adequate. The World Health Organization lists cellular signals as a potential carcinogen. But it also lists pickled vegetables and coffee as carcinogens. 

Still, it's something people are worried about. 

What does 5G have to do with COVID-19?

Nothing. There's a conspiracy theory going around, propelled by YouTube videos and articles pushing the idea that the super-high frequencies used in 5G networks are contributing to, or even causing, the coronavirus. That is categorically untrue, with scientists and doctors lining up to squash this idea. 

Keep in mind that in most of the countries where COVID-19 has hit, the networks in use don't even use that millimeter wave spectrum that people are fearful of. In the US, it's only been deployed in select areas. 

We still don't know a lot about the origin of the novel coronavirus, but it's safe to say 5G didn't play a role in it.

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