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/ Wednesday, February 2, 2022
5G beatS everybody in customer satisfaction
T-Mobile 5G customers are more satisfied with its cellular internet connection than other providers in the U.S.
T
By Juan A. Hernández, The Weekly Journal -Mobile came ahead
of the herd of cellular and internet service providers in the U.S. –including industry’s heavyweights AT&T and Verizon– in a recent 5G service and customer satisfaction survey by Speedcheck, an internet performance testing and network diagnostics site. According to the survey, consumers
using 5G service for their brought the major wireless carrier internet cellular connection choices from four down to three, are more satisfied than those but also afforded the company who only have access to 4G or a two-year head-start in the 3G connections. The survey’s development of the 5G network. satisfaction index combined the The transaction included Sprint’s T-Mobile is ahead “very satisfied” and “satisfied” 2.5Ghz 5G carrier frequency, a of Verizon’s 3G/4G answers of participating so-called “Goldilocks” frequency experience by 6% customers. in the mid-band that offers a fast and surpasses AT&T Speedcheck’s survey 5G speed and long range. So, by just 2%. concludes T-Mobile 5G T-Mobile acquired “an excellent Source: Speedcheck customers “are more satisfied” 5G service over a wide area” the with their 5G cellular internet survey states. connection than AT&T and In the meantime, both AT&T Verizon 5G users by a and Verizon opted for their low margin of 9.5% and 7.8%, respectively. band and 600 and 800Mhz frequencies for their Also, T-Mobile’s customers using coverage. In the long run, this decision proved to be its 3G/4G connection, which the inadequate because, while the low band frequencies company still carries, are also more provide a longer range, they don’t support 5G satisfied than customers from the speeds. On the other hand, while high band competition. T-Mobile is ahead of millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies do provide Verizon’s 3G/4G experience by high 5G speeds, higher frequencies mean limited 6% and surpasses AT&T coverage and does not penetrate walls easily. by just 2%. The new But, despite the hurdle, AT&T and Verizon plan statistic turns the to up the ante with investments to reach 75 million tables on AT&T and and 100 million customers, respectively, by the end Verizon, who used to of the year, and the recent Federal Communications be the ones dominating Commission (FCC) and Federal Aviation Authority the 3G/4G market. decision to allow high-powered C-band frequency near airports is paving the way. It is still to be seen whether AT&T and Verizon will The Background When T-Mobile acquired be able to catch up to T-Mobile and how long it will take. Sprint in April 2020, it
In fact,
FAA clears Verizon and AT&T to turn on more 5G cell towers David Koenig, The Associated Press
Federal safety regulators say they have cleared the way for Verizon and AT&T to power up more towers for new 5G service without causing radio interference with airplanes. The Federal Aviation Administration said last week that it took the steps after receiving details from the telecommunications companies about the location of wireless transmitters. The FAA’s move will let the companies activate 5G cell towers closer to airports without hindering the ability of planes to land during poor weather. Verizon and AT&T declined to comment. Nick Ludlum, a spokesman for the telecommunications trade group CTIA, called it a “positive development that highlights the considerable progress the wireless industry, aviation industry, FAA and FCC are making to ensure robust 5G service and safe flights.” The trade group Airlines for America issued a
as they began offering the similar statement. Spokesman service in many U.S. cities Carter Yang added that all on Jan. 19. sides are working on “a more Since the dispute came efficient permanent solution” to a head earlier this that will avoid disrupting air month, the FAA has cleared traffic as more 5G towers are most types of airline planes activated. — 90% of the U.S. fleet — to Concern About Aviation operate around 5G signals, Safety saying that their heightAviation groups and the measuring devices, called FAA had warned that the radio altimeters, are safe companies’ 5G service, which from radio interference. uses part of the radio spectrum Concern about new high-speed wireless Dire predictions of called C-Band, was too close service interfering with airplanes appears to be easing. > AP Photo/Bill Sikes, File thousands of canceled to the spectrum range used flights did not come true, by instruments that measure but dozens of flights have been grounded by the height of planes above the ground — crucial information for landing in low visibility. 5G concerns, including U.S.-bound international Verizon and AT&T, which spent billions to build flights last week and some domestic flights this 5G networks, disputed the FAA’s conclusions. But week at Paine Field near Seattle. Some small they twice agreed to delay launching new 5G and airline planes, notably a group of Embraer temporarily delayed it around many airports even regional jets, have not been cleared.
