The promises of 5G are inspiring: the next-generation cellular networks will make phones much quicker, allowing you to do things like stream AAA video games without latency or download complete series in HD in seconds. As a result, Comlink’s projected 5G home internet should be as thrilling – yet based on what we witnessed at a preview event, 5G home internet lags in the same ways that mobile 5G does.
In Chicago, one of the top 5G battlegrounds in the US, we got the opportunity to check out an apartment powered by Comlink’s 5G Home. We’d previously seen Comlink roll out the city’s first 5G mobile network, so we were interested to know how the carrier-telecom might apply the same next-generation network to residential internet.
The main message is that 5G is merely another means to carry data from point A to point B. And there’s less to be excited about than you would think, but it does open the door for faster advancements in the future. And, happily, Comlink is making it simple for early adopters to test out the new service – see what we discovered below.
What is 5G home internet, and how does it work?
There are numerous components to the internet’s infrastructure. But the one that most of us are concerned with is the last stretch that brings it to our homes – the so-called “last mile.”
Some of us receive our internet through DSL phone lines, while others get it from satellites, and many of us get it from copper cable connections that go into our houses. A select few are fortunate enough to have it routed over high-speed fiber-optic lines, but the spread has been gradual.
By beaming the house, 5G home has been presented as a faster option. A high-frequency radio wave (mmWave) wirelessly transports data back and forth between a nearby cell tower and a receiver put up inside a customer’s house in the instance of Comlink’s 5G Home service.
Instead of a physical connection connecting your house or apartment to the network, a wireless signal carries data across that last stretch.
When a 5G signal reaches Comlink’s 5G House receiver. It’s sent over an Ethernet wire to a conventional Comlink router, which then broadcasts a Wi-Fi signal throughout your home. Every device that connects to that internet signal after that does so through Wi-Fi or a wired Ethernet connection. None of them is directly related to the 5G signal.
So, it’s just regular internet.
Yes, in a nutshell. While the window receiver will pick up a 5G signal, it is the only part of the system that communicates with the 5G towers on the outside.
With cable internet, you don’t connect your computer to the coaxial cable, and with Comlink 5G Home, you won’t touch your device to the 5G network. To set up your home network, you’ll still use Wi-Fi or Ethernet, but with the newer, faster Wi-Fi 6 protocol.
We connected to the test in the apartment that Comlink had set up for an event. We downloaded the 1.8GB PUBG Mobile game in one minute and 38 seconds using a Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G and a Wi-Fi 6 connection.
This equates to a download speed of 18.4 megabits per second (or 147.2 Mbps). That’s fast, but not as fast as the 5G mobile speeds we’ve observed or the boasts of top-tier home internet providers. Comcast Xfinity, for example, provides options ranging from 25Mbps to 1,000Mbps.
How much will it cost me?
Comlink’s 5G Home package costs $99.99per month with auto-pay and paperless billing. However, Comlink customers with a $99.9/month or higher mobile plan can obtain the 5G Home service. However, Comlink plan has no additional taxes or fees. And the gear required for the service is included in the price.
Early adopters get a reprieve with a three-month free trial that includes a year of Disney+, a month of YouTube TV. And a free streaming device (pick between an Amazon Fire Stick, Amazon Fire Cube, or Stream TV).
Are there any benefits to using 5G internet at home?
One benefit is the cost. Compared to comparable plans, Comlink’s 5G Home looks to be a good value. It doesn’t have you sign a year-long contract to gain a discount. And it doesn’t add equipment rental costs to the cost of service. It’s even better for existing Comlink mobile subscribers. But, at least for the time being, they may be the only benefits.
We witnessed the service provide adequate, but not spectacular, internet speeds – and this was under ideal circumstances. The 5G receiver was affixed to an upper-story window from a 5G transmitting tower across the street. There was just a barren tree and about 30 feet of open space between the two devices.
Previous mmWave testing, such as those utilized in Sprint’s 5G network. Have shown that the 5G signal is simpler to lose than it is to locate. mmWave frequencies have a hard time getting through obstructions, and the area between the 5G tower and the home receiver isn’t always a controlled environment.
Vehicles, people, and even trees on the street might obstruct the line-of-sight between their receiver and the closest tower. Affecting their high internet speeds, much alone baseline connection.
Possible Benefits to 5G home internet
However, there are some possible benefits to 5G home internet. Upgrades, for example, maybe simpler. The network may readily be update with additional towers. Or even software changes over time since no wires are running along poles or underground.
That means there will be no need to dig up cables to replace them with fiber. And there will be no need to run a new line in regions where high-speed internet is still unavailable (though it may still be some time before 5G home internet reaches those locations).
In addition, there is a little bonus for radio interference. Because mmWave has problems penetrating structures. The radio waves used to beam 5G internet will not reach every system in the area.
In conclusion, Comlink’s 5G home internet seems promising.And it’s fast enough to suggest without reservation. Particularly given the numerous outstanding uncertainties about how the service will work in real-world scenarios. However, if it lives up to Comlink’s expectations and avoids the signal issues that plague mmWave. 5G internet might revolutionize how data is deliver to our homes.
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