LG Wing and Pixel 5 owners have something to look forward to: the Federal Communications Commission has approved these devices to use faster 5G C band frequencies, according to a PCMag informant. The two phones joined an exclusive company made up of some of the first phones approved to use the new frequencies. Samsung’s Galaxy S21 phones and the iPhone 12 line are the only ones that support these frequencies in the U.S.
The C band will provide a much needed speed boost to 5G in the United States, especially for Verizon and AT&T customers. Currently, their national networks rely mainly on the slower low-band spectrum. This range of so-called mid-band frequencies was put up for auction in late 2020, and American operators offered a record $ 80.9 billion to secure spectrum blocks for their use.
These frequencies will not be available for use until the end of 2021 / early 2022, but LG and Google appear to be ahead of the curve. With this FCC approval, companies can offer software updates to allow the use of C band frequencies on these specific devices.
As it is now, not every 5G phone works with all types of 5G frequency. Some devices, especially economy models, only support low and medium bandwidth. Others are also compatible with high bandwidth, such as Verizon’s Ultra Wideband, which the operator indicates by selling certain models with the “UW” brand. Band C will complicate things further; manufacturers need to obtain FCC approval to add support retroactively to their existing devices so that they can take advantage of the new spectrum.
Undoubtedly, the C band will be a welcome addition to the 5G networks in the United States, but it is one more thing to be aware of if you plan to buy a new phone this year. T-Mobile customers will not have to worry as much, as this operator’s network already uses other mid-band frequencies. But if you use Verizon or AT&T and plan to keep the phone for a few years, it’s worth buying a device that supports C band now or in the future.