The more advanced form of 5G SA (standalone) can unlock faster speeds, reduced latency, and overall improved reliability compared to other networks. One person decided to test one device that was AT&T 5G SA-ready, and it simply outmatched T-Mobile in the latest bandwidth comparison.
T-Mobile holds a minute edge against AT&T in uplink speeds, along with a significantly lower latency
The YouTube channel Tech Life Channel ran a basic speed test where he had two devices, one was connected to an AT&T 5G SA network, while the other was a T-Mobile line. The testing tower was approximately 70-80 meters away, with the test being somewhat fair because both U.S. carriers had their base stations installed on the same tower. Firing up Speedtest, Tech Life Channel achieved the following results on the networks.
AT&T
- Downlink speeds - 1,565Mbps
- Uplink speeds - 137Mbps
- Ping - 49ms
T-Mobile
- Downlink speeds - 1,156Mbps
- Uplink speeds - 141Mbps
- Ping - 17ms
On the downlink side, when connected to an AT&T 5G SA tower, downlink speeds were more than 35 percent faster than the T-Mobile connection, which is quite impressive to see. As for the uplink speeds, those were nearly the same, but the iPhone connected to the AT&T network displayed a higher ping, which can be due to a number of reasons.
The device being placed in a cupholder might have been one of them, with some shrubbery present in between the two smartphones and the signal tower, blocking a more direct path. The YouTuber was thoroughly impressed with these results, but says that he will conduct more testing, particularly from towers that are stationed a little further away.
One drawback of AT&T’s 5G SA network is that not all towers are supported to deliver the upgraded bandwidth. As for an official nationwide rollout, multiple discussions on Reddit threads discuss the expected date for this deployment as 2028, while others seem skeptical about this timeline. Also, if AT&T is taking its sweet time in 5G SA adoption, by the time its goal nears completion, the first wave of smartphones with 6G capability will arrive.
News Source: Tech Life Channel
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