These days, every part of our day involves some kind of technology. Let’s face it – whether for the better or for the worse, it plays a vital role in how we communicate, work, and play. Almost all, if not all adults now possess a smartphone, whether Android, iPhone, or a feature smartphone. In the case of cellular technologies, we have evolved from the 1G network to the now widely deployed 5G network. It’s definitely been a major leap, and one that has benefitted our lives in so many ways.

It seems that the wireless industry launches a new cellular communication standard about every decade or so that allows for more data to be transmitted. It never fails to disappoint—there is always a significant improvement between the new standard and the previous standard. With 5G wireless technology, users can expect global data speeds of up to several hundred gigabits per second, ultra-low latency, massive network capacity, higher availability, and a more uniform experience than ever before. Read my article on 5G – The Future of Wireless Connection to learn more.

Of course, whether you have an excellent or abysmal experience depends on your location and device capabilities. You might have the latest and greatest smartphone but not be able to take advantage of the fast speeds offered by 5G because you might not be in your provider’s coverage area. Or, it might be that your area is fully supported and included in the coverage area, however, you might not have a phone that supports the technology. Whichever it may be, be advised that cellular providers are working on expanding the reach of 5G and in the foreseeable future, 5G would have expanded globally, just like 4G in its time.

I had always been interested in the 5G hype since I heard of it, and ever since I had always wanted to experience it myself. Just like the majority of the population currently, my area does not have stable and widespread 5G coverage. The data connection always defaults to LTE. While LTE is sufficient for daily tasks, when you hear of the latest and greatest technology, it’s only natural you would want to experience it too. If I was lucky, in certain parts of my home or outside our neighborhood, I was able to access the 5G network. However, it was the nationwide 5G and not the real fast 5G carriers advertised. It really did not have much of an improvement, and at times, even the LTE connection performed better.

But then, to my surprise, while passing through a regular route, I saw the “5G UC” symbol for the very first time with full bars on my iPhone. I knew instantly that I was connected to T-Mobile’s “Ultra Capacity” network. Without any time to waste and with fear it could lose the connection any second, I immediately opened the Speedtest app to run a speedtest. I was astonished to see the speed results.

It was what I was waiting for all this time, I finally had access to it. The download speed was more than triple times the speed I received at home via Wi-Fi. It all made sense now, this is the true definition of 5G. This speed has the power to revolutionize what we can do at present. But of course, the battery life of the phone took a hit.