All the major U.S. cellular carriers have growing 5G networks, but they all handle 5G coverage and access differently. Compared to 4G LTE, 5G networks are built to handle a greater capacity, provide lower latency, and deliver faster speeds. Plenty of phones and cellular plans support 5G, but your 5G experience will vary greatly depending on the carrier you pick and the area where you live.
The 5G race has the big three of AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon competing to be the best U.S. carrier, and as of this summer, one carrier stands out. That said, it’s impossible to choose between the three carriers without knowing the terminology they use. On each of those three networks, the “5G” icon that pops up on your phone isn’t the real 5G you’re after. Instead, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon all call their best 5G networks something unique, and you should know how to spot them.
AT&T’s 5G or 5GE isn’t the one you want
5G+ is the AT&T name for the fast speeds you expect
AT&T has the most confusing 5G branding of the three carriers, and the “5GE” brand is the reason. It stands for 5G Enhanced, but despite “5G” being in the name, it isn’t 5G. It’s just a moniker that refers to AT&T’s upgraded 4G LTE network, which, again, isn’t 5G. If you see the 5GE icon on your phone, you should know that you’re getting 4G LTE speeds.
While AT&T stopped using the 5GE brand in ads, the logo still shows up on devices connected to the carrier’s network. This, frankly, is misleading. AT&T users will see the 5GE logo on their devices when they’re really still using a 4G LTE network, albeit with advanced 4×4 MIMO and 256 QAM features.
The best speeds won’t come from regular 5G, either. AT&T’s 5G logo signifies the low-band cellular network that is usually only equivalent to or slightly faster than 4G LTE in speed. The AT&T 5G+ logo, by comparison, identifies the mid-band and high-band networks that truly feel fast. AT&T’s 5G+ network uses the n77 mid-band layer and millimeter wave (mmWave) in the high-band spectrums, delivering speeds above 1Gbps in ideal conditions.
So, if you’re an AT&T customer, ignore 5G and 5GE. The 5G+ network is the fastest one offered by AT&T.
T-Mobile’s 5G UC beats regular 5G
The base Extended Range 5G uses low-band frequencies
T-Mobile’s equivalent to AT&T’s 5G+ network is called 5G Ultra Capacity. It’s shortened to 5G UC, and you’ll see the 5G UC icon on your phone when it is connected to this T-Mobile network. Like AT&T, the basic 5G logo shown on T-Mobile only refers to the low-band network. T-Mobile calls this Extended Range 5G, which isn’t much faster than 4G LTE, but has better range and penetration in buildings.
The 5G Ultra Capacity network on T-Mobile uses the mid-band and high-band spectrum to deliver faster speeds than 4G LTE in densely populated areas. You’ll find it mostly in and around cities, like AT&T’s 5G+. T-Mobile also uses something called 5G Standalone, which relies entirely on Extended Range 5G and 5G Ultra Capacity without using 4G LTE networks as a fallback.
T-Mobile’s 5G UC network primarily uses the n41 mid-band layer, as well as multiple mmWave bands in the high-band spectrum. Remember, if you’re comparing mid- and high-band 5G networks, you’ll want to compare AT&T 5G+ to T-Mobile 5G UC.
Verizon calls it 5G Ultra Wideband (UW)
Like the other carriers, the regular 5G isn’t as fast
In case the situation wasn’t complicated enough, Verizon has its own name for its combined mid-band and high-band 5G network: 5G Ultra Wideband. It’s called 5G UW for short, and is comparable to AT&T’s 5G+ or T-Mobile’s 5G UC. The regular 5G network, which Verizon brands as 5G Nationwide, is a low-band network about as fast and reliable as 4G LTE.
Like the other carriers, the mid-band and high-band Verizon 5G UW network delivers the fastest speeds. Verizon’s 5G UW network uses the n77 mid-band layer in addition to mmWave bands.
On all three carriers, you’ll only connect to mmWave nodes if your phone has a mmWave antenna, and they aren’t ubiquitous yet. You’ll see the 5G UW logo on your Verizon device if you’re connected to either C-Band or mmWave 5G.
5G speeds aren’t equal across every carrier
The three major carriers — AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon — all use a mix of low-band, mid-band, and high-band spectrum to deliver 5G coverage. It’s a complicated battle, because the carriers are each trying to acquire licenses for the spectrum that’s available. It’s a finite resource with limited room for expansion, and spectrum licenses are overseen by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
In other words, there are a lot of factors that impact whether a carrier’s 5G network is fast or slow in your area. The confusing marketing names for each carrier’s best 5G networks don’t help matters, but now you know how to spot 5G+, 5G UC, and 5G UW in the wild.