If you are a Verizon customer, you may have noticed that the 5G data speeds you are receiving over the operator’s 5G Nationwide network are often slower than 4G LTE. This is due to the technology that the country’s largest operator is using to cover the country with 5G signals from coast to coast. It’s called Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) and Verizon explains it like this: “Verizon’s 5G Nationwide employs Dynamic Spectrum Sharing technology, which allows the 5G service to run simultaneously with 4G LTE in various spectrum bands. Verizon the ability to dynamically use its full portfolio of current spectrum resources to serve 4G and 5G customers. “
If your Verizon 5G phone is slower than 4G LTE, disable 5G to speed up the device
Verizon customers receive two different types of 5G signals. The Ultra Wideband 5G employs high wavelength mmWave spectrum that does not travel long distances. It also doesn’t penetrate structures very well. That is why it is difficult to find an area of the country where Verizon’s UWB can be found. The good news is that mmWave 5G offers very fast speeds. DSS, on the other hand, allows Verizon to share the 5G and 4G LTE spectrum without having to replenish existing low bandwidth waves. In addition to Verizon’s DSS, both T-Mobile and AT&T relies on low-band long-range signals to cover the US with 5G coverage. And the low band can also penetrate buildings with ease. But what they don’t do is provide users with spectacularly fast data speed.
A test run in New York shows that a Verizon iPhone 12 Pro was slower than 4G LTE on the operator’s DSS 5G network
And that’s why PCMag reports that Verizon users with the new 5G line of the iPhone 12, the Google Pixel 5 and other phones compatible with the Nationwide 5G service and Ultra Wideband may suffer from slow speeds. How slow? Slower than 4G LTE. If that is the case with your service, the best bet is to disable 5G on your Verizon phone. The device will automatically select a 5G network on 4G LTE. So if you don’t disable the setting, your phone will simply connect to a slower network automatically, with one big exception. If your Verizon 5G device supports UWB and you are in an area with UWB coverage, it is best to keep 5G enabled. However, keep in mind that finding an Ultra WideBand 5G signal is like finding a needle in a haystack now, with availability in just over 60 cities.
How to know which Verizon 5G network your iPhone is on
Even Verizon itself acknowledges this problem. A spokesman said: “For most customers, the performance on our national 5G network will be similar to 4G. [DSS] it is a new technology and we continue to modify it as we move forward. We expect performance improvements by 2021 and beyond. “PCMag conducted a real test in New York City (hopefully they wore a mask!). An iPhone 12 Pro was taken to eight locations on the Big Apple. The first seven locations featured a DSS signal and the result was speeds of lower data than the 4G LTE service. For the last test, a UWB connection was established with data download speeds more than seven times faster than DSS 5G, running at more than 700 Mbps.
Most Verizon 5G phones do not allow you to disable 5G support, although you can try. Go to settings > Connections > Mobile network > Network mode. If you see an option to select LTE / CDMA instead of 5G / LTE / CDMA, you can disable 5G on your device. As for the iPhone, go to settings > Cell phone > Cellular data options > Voice and Data and tap LTE to disable 5G.
So how do you know which 5G network your iPhone is on? If you are a Verizon customer, look at the status bar at the top right of your iPhone screen. If you see the lowercase UW in the 5G icon, congratulations! You are connected to Verizon’s UltraWideband 5G network.
