10-15-2020 02:54 AM
Now that more manufactures are coming out with 5G phones, when will Telus have 5G coverage in Richmond? Based on the coverage map, Richmond from downtown to Hamilton/Queensborough area do not have 5G coverage currently. Even if you can give a rough estimate when 5G coverage in Richmond would help me make a decision on whether I should continue my Telus service or switch to another provider.
10-15-2020 03:56 AM
Telus hasn't announced how soon that 5G will be live in Richmond yet. I can't imagine it'll be too long though. Telus did give some details about the next cities in BC to get 5G: By the end of the year, Telus plans to expand its 5G service to Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam, Burnaby, Surrey, White Rock and Chilliwack in British Columbia.
The big question, is there something you currently do with your phone that will actually benefit from 5G over LTE?
10-15-2020 10:16 AM
10-15-2020 10:44 AM
The 5G that's rolling out now isn't the super fast 5G. It is going to be nominally faster than the 4G. It is a chicken or egg thing, either the network will be there first, or the phones will be capable of it first.
Switching carriers on the basis of 5G coverage, when your current carrier has amongst the fastest 4G coverage, might be something you would wish to reconsider carefully. It doesn't make a lot of sense. Telus has a pretty top notch network and they are likely to keep it that way.
10-15-2020 11:27 AM
To jump on that point, no carrier is going to have the ultra-high speed version of 5G anytime soon. The millimetre wave version that enables that requires a specific level of spectrum that hasn't even gone to auction yet (https://www.iphoneincanada.ca/carriers/rogers-telus-bell-iphone-12-5g-network-demand/). It's expected to go out next year some time, then you'd have to wait for tower build out. And that says nothing of the fact that millimetre wave requires line of sight to a tower (it struggles to penetrate walls - see Mr. Mobile's review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1D6w-7Zav8), so you're not actually going to get massive benefit from it.
In terms of the 5G that will be available, as @BillTelusCust mentioned, it's marginally faster than LTE. The best advice I've heard is done buy something in anticipation of future features. Wait for the features to be available then make a decision. Deciding to change networks based on future 5G availability is potentially just going to cost you more in the long run.
10-16-2020 11:35 AM
The iPhones sold outside of the USA apparently don't have the millimeter wave capability anyway.
10-15-2020 11:32 PM
Ran the tests last week downtown:
LTE+ ~ 155 Mbps
5G ~ 440 Mbps
10-16-2020 10:54 AM
And I just got 335 Mbps on LTE. On the "red" guys, using an iPad...