True 5G: sustained latency and sluggish speeds
At long last we have the first conclusive numbers regarding 5G networks in South Korea. Three separate mobile networks were tested. The best candidate averaged 426.4 Mbps, far below expected 5G performance. And it gets worse – any hopes for latency around one millisecond are straight out of the window.
From 28. June to 6. July, Root Metrics ran as many trials as they could, finding these results. All three South Korean 5G networks were examined using an «LG V50 ThinQ 5G» smartphone, ending up with 16,306 measurements. They travelled 1,252 kilometres and examined 30 different locations. Measurements were taken from the packed inner cities of Seoul through suburbs, all the way to packed subways during rush hour.
The following network results were provided by LG U+, KT and SK Telecom:
| Network provider | Ø 5G speed | Max. 5G speed | Latency with 5G |
|---|---|---|---|
| LG U+ | 426.4 Mbps | 902.7 Mbps | 72 ms |
| KT | 163.0 Mbps | 751.0 Mbps | 107 ms |
| SK Telecom | 286.9 Mbps | 638.7 Mbps | 195 ms |
LG U+ uses Huawei technology, while KT and SK Telecom prefer Ericsson. As the results show, this leads to the LG U+ net to have average speeds around 426.4 Mbps and 72 ms of latency. Compared with LG U+'s 4G web, this is a significant bump. Until now, these values ranged around 96.1 Mbps and 159 ms of latency.
As a reminder: according to specifications, 5G should give us 10 Gbps, even reaching 20 Gbps eventually. Depending on infrastructure and use, latency is supposed to dip below one millisecond.
Which would light a massive fire under the mobile games market. Some are even planning on dropping their internet cables, choosing instead to install a 5G modem for gaming. However, these dreams seem to be heading for the grave now. If they aren't already six feet under.
I find my muse in everything. When I don’t, I draw inspiration from daydreaming. After all, if you dream, you don’t sleep through life.