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The key breakthrough for 5G was allowing ~10x the number of devices to connect to a node compared to 4G. 5G is what allowed the toppling of data caps that was b

The key breakthrough for 5G was allowing ~10x the number of devices to connect to a node compared to 4G. 5G is what allowed the toppling of data caps that was by far the #1 consumer complaint for years. 4G just couldn't handle heavy loads well, so data caps were needed to constrain demand. Teleco's aren't going to say this out load, but it's the real reason why they were so celebratory about 5G, despite it coming off like just a renamed 4G to the average user.

stnmtn 2y ago
Why would they not be loud about it? I think "We've built out 5G so we can get rid of your data caps!" is a message any telecom would want to broadcast out, unless I'm missing something
- conception 2y ago
  They don’t want to get rid of your data caps. They want to get rid of their data bandwidth limitations.
jampekka 2y ago
> 4G just couldn't handle heavy loads well, so data caps were needed to constrain demand. In many parts of the world uncapped data has been the norm since around GPRS.
- echoangle 2y ago
  Could that be because they aren’t as densely populated by users so even if everyone with a phone has no data cap, they won’t overload the network? Which countries were that for example?
  - xavxav 2y ago
    basically every european country? they've all had much larger datacaps than north america for years preceding 5g and most are quite densely inhabited.
    - echoangle 2y ago
      I’m from Germany and I don’t know a single person with unlimited mobile data. That’s very rare here.
      - bialpio 2y ago
        And yet probably everyone you know in EU has a cheaper Internet per GB that folks in the US. I have 2 SIM cards, one provider charges me $10/GB, while the other has a 2-GB packet for $6.
        vel0city 2y ago
        Both of those prices are considerably more expensive than what I pay for service in the US. Even the cheaper one is more than 2x more expensive than what I pay per gig, including unlimited calls and texts + roaming to a lot of North America.
        bialpio 2y ago
        Who's your provider if you don't mind me asking?
        vel0city 2y ago
        Mint. 15GB for $20/mo works out to $1.33/GB while your 2GB plan is $3/GB. But there are other MVNOs out there like tello which also have a 2GB/$6 plan in the US, and other MVNOs which offer unlimited data for like $25-30/mo like visible and US Cellular. Plenty of cheap MVNOs out there these days.
        bialpio 2y ago
        Tello is actually what I use for my secondary data, Fi is my main (mostly because I travel somewhat and the data costs the same in all the destinations I care about without having to juggle SIM cards). I'm not a good case study because I rarely use more than 2gb in a month, so Mint would come closer to $10 a gig... :)

stnmtn 2y ago

Why would they not be loud about it? I think "We've built out 5G so we can get rid of your data caps!" is a message any telecom would want to broadcast out, unless I'm missing something

conception 2y ago
They don’t want to get rid of your data caps. They want to get rid of their data bandwidth limitations.

jampekka 2y ago

> 4G just couldn't handle heavy loads well, so data caps were needed to constrain demand. In many parts of the world uncapped data has been the norm since around GPRS.

echoangle 2y ago
Could that be because they aren’t as densely populated by users so even if everyone with a phone has no data cap, they won’t overload the network? Which countries were that for example?
- xavxav 2y ago
  basically every european country? they've all had much larger datacaps than north america for years preceding 5g and most are quite densely inhabited.
  - echoangle 2y ago
    I’m from Germany and I don’t know a single person with unlimited mobile data. That’s very rare here.
    - bialpio 2y ago
      And yet probably everyone you know in EU has a cheaper Internet per GB that folks in the US. I have 2 SIM cards, one provider charges me $10/GB, while the other has a 2-GB packet for $6.
      - vel0city 2y ago
        Both of those prices are considerably more expensive than what I pay for service in the US. Even the cheaper one is more than 2x more expensive than what I pay per gig, including unlimited calls and texts + roaming to a lot of North America.
        bialpio 2y ago
        Who's your provider if you don't mind me asking?
        vel0city 2y ago
        Mint. 15GB for $20/mo works out to $1.33/GB while your 2GB plan is $3/GB. But there are other MVNOs out there like tello which also have a 2GB/$6 plan in the US, and other MVNOs which offer unlimited data for like $25-30/mo like visible and US Cellular. Plenty of cheap MVNOs out there these days.
        bialpio 2y ago
        Tello is actually what I use for my secondary data, Fi is my main (mostly because I travel somewhat and the data costs the same in all the destinations I care about without having to juggle SIM cards). I'm not a good case study because I rarely use more than 2gb in a month, so Mint would come closer to $10 a gig... :)