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Just that: faster speeds, except it'll be far spottier than a 1Gib -> 10Gib ethernet upgrade due to a collection of issues that will make it hard to get full 5G

Just that: faster speeds, except it'll be far spottier than a 1Gib -> 10Gib ethernet upgrade due to a collection of issues that will make it hard to get full 5G speeds on a regular basis. I'd take 4G LTE as implemented in much of urban Japan over hypothetical 5G any day. I witnessed nigh-instant web page load times with my phone reporting zero bars in the Tokyo subway once. Over a period of weeks, I can't recall having anything less than a "pretty darn good" level of service, no matter what the signal was reported as. In the US, I find that two bars is slow and sketchy, while one bar (still @ 4G LTE reported service!) is often a "forget about it" level of service. I.e. I'd take service consistency over theoretical-max-speed any time. On that basis, I suspect the signal consistency challenges 5G faces will make it a very frustrating service for many real-world users.

jessriedel 8y ago
It sounds like you're mostly frustrated with the fact that the bars on your phone are lying to you, which is true but sorta separate.
- saidajigumi 8y ago
  No, the bars are peripheral – it's that I want that phenomenal quality of service I experienced while traveling. Bars notwithstanding, I simply always had good service. I didn't have to care about the bars. I'd rather have that kind of ubiquitous and reliable 4G LTE than a few areas of hyper-fast yet finicky 5G.
- wyldfire 8y ago
  The indicator "bars" usually show RSSI which doesn't necessarily map to throughput. Or rather, it's closer to a normalized metric for the (mobile+network infra)'s capability, but not an absolute metric like a speedometer.
  - ngcc_hk 8y ago
    Any measurement tool for iOS? I guess we cannot use Speedtest day the day, just have an idea ... Also is signal strength important as some 4g router do report it but they are bigger
  - kalleboo 8y ago
    And on some US carriers and devices the "bars" are often for a completely different technology than indicated https://forums.androidcentral.com/sprint/210510-bars-lie-lte-signal-strength-how-determine-your-actual-lte-signal-strength.html https://forums.androidcentral.com/sprint/210510-bars-lie-lte...
lecakes 8y ago
Hmmm, capacity for 10 full duplex HD video streams sometimes, or full duplex 1 HD video all the time... One would like to think that degradation always results in 3G speeds, as the absolute floor of service quality. Depends of whether to want to stockpile and binge from local device storage (tape delay, podcast style), or live stream current events as them happen, while on the move. Personally, for me, this just means I’d hit my data cap faster, probably dumping my allowance in 3 days, instead of 30. On prepaid, this potentially means everything gets ten times more expensive. Unlimited data usually comes with abusive contract agreements, credit checks, obnoxious customer service, devalued credit scores for late monthly payments, and oh yeah pushy sales people that act like total fucking jerks at retail shops. Actually, why don’t I just throw all my internet toys in the garbage? Really. Why not?

jessriedel 8y ago

It sounds like you're mostly frustrated with the fact that the bars on your phone are lying to you, which is true but sorta separate.

saidajigumi 8y ago
No, the bars are peripheral – it's that I want that phenomenal quality of service I experienced while traveling. Bars notwithstanding, I simply always had good service. I didn't have to care about the bars. I'd rather have that kind of ubiquitous and reliable 4G LTE than a few areas of hyper-fast yet finicky 5G.
wyldfire 8y ago
The indicator "bars" usually show RSSI which doesn't necessarily map to throughput. Or rather, it's closer to a normalized metric for the (mobile+network infra)'s capability, but not an absolute metric like a speedometer.
- ngcc_hk 8y ago
  Any measurement tool for iOS? I guess we cannot use Speedtest day the day, just have an idea ... Also is signal strength important as some 4g router do report it but they are bigger
- kalleboo 8y ago
  And on some US carriers and devices the "bars" are often for a completely different technology than indicated https://forums.androidcentral.com/sprint/210510-bars-lie-lte-signal-strength-how-determine-your-actual-lte-signal-strength.html https://forums.androidcentral.com/sprint/210510-bars-lie-lte...

lecakes 8y ago

Hmmm, capacity for 10 full duplex HD video streams sometimes, or full duplex 1 HD video all the time... One would like to think that degradation always results in 3G speeds, as the absolute floor of service quality. Depends of whether to want to stockpile and binge from local device storage (tape delay, podcast style), or live stream current events as them happen, while on the move. Personally, for me, this just means I’d hit my data cap faster, probably dumping my allowance in 3 days, instead of 30. On prepaid, this potentially means everything gets ten times more expensive. Unlimited data usually comes with abusive contract agreements, credit checks, obnoxious customer service, devalued credit scores for late monthly payments, and oh yeah pushy sales people that act like total fucking jerks at retail shops. Actually, why don’t I just throw all my internet toys in the garbage? Really. Why not?