VZW gave us the first 4G phones and they were cr@p. Will 5G be different? Why?
4G was data-only back in first week of December 2010 when VZW went live with 4G. No VoIP.
If you got hooked onto 4G at a low signal strength the software couldn't let go and drop back to 3G and vice versa. Calls were problematic too. The shuffling of activity between the different modes was not well developed - it was rushed to market before being truly ready.
In addition, the AP+modems for the process boards were SiP solutions because the SoC designs hadn't been worked out and brought to market. That took about nine months more.
While it was my opinion the first 4G customers deserved some compensation or a free upgrade to 2nd gen smartphones as soon as they arrived, that's not what happened.
Why make these remarks?
McAdams had a funny reaction the other day: 'Our 5G will be worthy of our network' and 'I don't do PR networks' or approximately those words.
To which I reply: 'Yeah, whatever dude.'
Today BigRed is entirely deserving of its network accolades. It was also deserving in the 3G EVDO days.
They just had this ugly phase of 4G that was really unworthy of their network accolades and I genuinely hope they do not repeat it with 5G. But I'd guess that the first mmWave smartphones will be crap.
So, to all those who think 5G mmWave is just a 'killer tech to die for' (rhetorically speaking).... be careful of what you wish for.
Money drives otherwise men of good character to do uncharacteristic things.
Let the mmWave devices arrive and develop for a couple generations of IC as hotspots and CPE... THEN consider adding it to your mobile phone.
In the mean time, why wait to add high speed LTE when it is shipping as LTE-A PRO now?
caveat emptor
IMO
REFERENCES
rcrwireless.com
How fixed wireless helps cover rural America By Sean Kinney, Editor in Chief on MARCH 23, 2018
Industry experts talk fixed wireless opportunity...
Johnson is currently overseeing construction of a fiber-to-the-home network, but said it’s not feasible to think all customers can be served by fiber...
Kaiser and Scot Harris of Ericsson both predicted that mid-band spectrum will become increasingly important in fixed wireless. Harris called out the 3.5 GHz and 2.5 GHz bands, and said fixed millimeter wave doesn’t present much of an opportunity for rural carriers given the wave propagation characteristics. “We’re not really pushing that as an option. We really see the mid-bands as being much better and more reasonable for them to pursue from a fixed wireless standpoint.”...
fiercewireless.com
Analysts: Don’t expect big sales of 5G phones anytime soon by Mike Dano | Mar 22, 2018
Qualcomm has shown off its Snapdragon X50 modem for 5G smartphones. (Mike Dano/FierceWireless)
Wireless operators in the United States have promised to launch 5G services as early as this year—but don’t expect many customers to upgrade to a new 5G smartphone anytime soon... Verizon’s CEO is nonetheless promising amazing devices...
fiercewireless.com
... the city of Santa Rosa, California, recently put Verizon’s small cell deployment there on hold, partly because residents there were upset at the size and proximity of the small cells to their homes...
pressdemocrat.com Santa Rosa puts Verizon wireless network upgrade on hold amid blowback from residents KEVIN MCCALLUM THE PRESS DEMOCRAT | March 6, 2018 Santa Rosa put a Verizon wireless network upgrade on hold Tuesday after residents raised questions in the minds of City Council members about the wisdom of allowing new telecommunications gear on light and power poles in neighborhoods... |
