Over the past couple of years, the marketing for 5G has increased exponentially. Carriers are betting heavily on 5G yet 4G is still compelling. Getting the best unlimited 4G data plan may prove to be less frustrating than a 5G plan. As we dive into some details, it will make much more sense as to why 5G is not worth it yet.
- 4G Reliability
At the moment, 4G is considerably more reliable than 5G. The infrastructure has been improved over more than a decade. There are radio towers all around Singapore and coverage is excellent. Not the same can be said about 5G. 5G is still a long way away from working as it should. Carriers are still investing in infrastructure and more 5G towers to improve reliability.
- 4G Speeds are Still Competitive
Even if most investments from carriers are now done for their 5G network, 4G speeds are still very competitive. Depending on your coverage, 4G can be as fast as what you are getting from 5G. The best unlimited 4G data plan can offer the same network speed as a 5G plan because the 5G infrastructure is still underdeveloped.
- 4G Has Better Coverage
The way 5G works to achieve high theoretical transfer rates makes it uncompetitive when it comes to coverage. A 5G signal can be obstructed easily by buildings and its coverage range is much lower than 4G. If you were to compare signal strength on a smartphone, you will see clearly that a 4G signal is much stronger than 5G, even if both radio towers are placed in the same physical location.
- 4G Is Cheaper
5G is still years away from being the standard. 4G still has several years left until it is deemed obsolete. The way things are today, carriers are still investing in their 5G infrastructure and there is still a long way until 5G transfer speeds improve. On the other hand, for 4G, not much needs to be done. The infrastructure is already in place and there is not much investment to be made. For this reason, for carriers, 4G is cheaper. This is also reflected in the plans that are being offered. The best unlimited 4G data plan is generally cheaper than the equivalent 5G plan.
Still Not Convinced?
You will need to check things for yourself. Some users performed real-life tests of 5G speeds across Singapore and the numbers are not that impressive. The same tests can be done with 4G and the difference in transfer speeds is not that significant, making the difference in pricing for both types of traffic, unjustified for the average user. 4G is still fast enough for 1080p or 4K streaming and there are very few mobile apps that would take advantage of the theoretical transfer speeds of 5G which are still a long way from becoming a reality.
Another important aspect is to compare various plans. Usually, the best unlimited 4G data plan includes unmetered traffic with little if any caveats hidden in fine prints. Choosing an unlimited plan is mandated only if your data usage is around 40 GB per month or more. If you know that you need more than that, an unlimited 4G data plan makes much more sense.
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