5G VS 5G Ultra Wideband
Ericuse165
Enthusiast - Level 3

I have the plan Unlimited Welcome and it says it comes with 5G. But Verizon recommends I switch my plan to a more expensive one but it say with that plan it comes with 5G Ultra Wide band. What's the difference just because I am one a cheaper plan I don't get access to Ultra Wide Dand? Is Verizon really charging more and have different plans basied on speed? I would be glad to pay more for faster speeds but the plan they recommend is more and it includes stuff I would never use. Is Verizon recommending this new plan just to try to get more money from me or do they really recommend it because it's better and would be able to get to access 5G Ultra Wide band? So I am confused. Is there a difference between 5G and 5G Ultra Wide band? Do all planes do not come with 5G Ultra Wide band? What plan is best for me is I would want the fastest speeds so if my plan doesn't come with 5G Ultra Wide band and there is a difference between that and 5G. I would get the plan that comes with 5G Ultra Wide band. But do they offer a cheaper plan that comes with 5G Ultra Wide band that doesn't include so much other stuff? Or would I have to get that plan and just not use what's included? I attached some pictures of my plan and the other plan that shows.

 

https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtxxebpM5QtOgvMOU0r57b9iK2sw6A

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vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

That is a great question. There are differences between 5G midband and 5G Ultra Wideband. The differences are in speed and coverage. While 5G UW ( Ultrawide Band) is faster, its coverage is smaller. There are only certain areas that get this 5G UW and the rest of our coverage is with our 5G midband coverage which is also speedy and can cover a bigger area. 5G UW is only recommended if you are in a 5G UW area, often, as the coverage is very limited. You can check your area for UW coverage on this map: https://www.verizon.com/coverage-map/ ~Peter

Ericuse165
Enthusiast - Level 3

Okay would my phone work on Wide Dand? It's a Motorola Edge 2023. If it is compatible do you know if a special icon that shows to let me know I am using UW? 

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vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

Hey there, Ericuse165, thanks for getting back to us. What indicator are you seeing for service when using data on your phone? Thanks for sending that link with additional details for your lcoation, unfortunately we are unable to see that information. Can you please verify your zip code so we can take a closer look at the area?

-Lauren

SynthpopAddict
Master - Level 3

@vzw_customer_support: The OP mentioned they are only seeing a 5G icon even though they upgraded their service plan to one which has 5G UW access.  Their data speeds are ranging anywhere from 5-100Mbps down, so they are definitely not getting 5G UW.  But as I mentioned in my earlier post, they also have a phone which does not support n260 or n261, so if their neighborhood uses these bands for 5G UW, their phone can't use it.

The graphics which they attached is a small section of Verizon's coverage map which indicates they are clearly in a 5G UW coverage area.  One image has ZIP code 32751 in it, so if you could confirm the band(s) used for 5G UW there?

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I'm not a Verizon employee, just another customer trying to help.
Ericuse165
Enthusiast - Level 3

Thank you. I think the maps might be over exaggerated. I mean if it shows a user should get a certain service at a location. I think that user should get somewhat of that service. Now a user has to worry about what bands of 5G UWB it is. I am just saying Verizon and there maps make you believe your get something if you upgrade or whatever. Where in the long run you most likely won't get it. I think that's wrong they should state on the map what bands and signals are used. The map is to generalize and if you ask me has misleading information. Even with a tiny disclaimer saying you might not get full service by looking at the map you expect to get something. I also like how it does not show you any other service like LTE or 5G. It just shows you the best service they offer that you won't get. That right there shows you the maps are fake. Anything off topic is if supposedly get 5G UWB at my address. Why is 5G home internet not available at my address?

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SynthpopAddict
Master - Level 3

@Ericuse165 wrote:

Thank you. [...] Why is 5G home internet not available at my address?


Hopefully a CS rep will get back to you on that as I don't know why you couldn't get the internet cube if you are in a 5G UW area.  It used to be the internet customers were deprioritized to cell phone customers on the network, but I'm not seeing that any more in the fine print plan information which I had to really dig around on the Verizon website to locate.  Be warned that the internet cube runs off the cell phone towers, so is subject to speed variations depending on how much traffic is on the towers.  A wired internet service (cable or fiber optic) is more reliable in terms of consistency in data speeds.

Verizon has been more cautious in how much they will sell their home internet service so as not to oversell it, for which I'll give them credit for.  It beats a certain competitor who will sell their home internet to anyone who asks whether it works or not for the customer.

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I'm not a Verizon employee, just another customer trying to help.
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

Great question. In this case, most Android devices do show under the signal whenever UW is being used. You would also need to be under a qualifying plan in order to take advantage of it.

~Freddy

SynthpopAddict
Master - Level 3

@Ericuse165, in a nutshell, the "regular" 5G is low-band 5G which runs about the same speed as 4G LTE.  You'd get something between 30-100 Mbps download on 5G.  On Unlimited Welcome or the legacy basic unlimited plan, you will get 4G and 5G access.

If you get either Unlimited Plus or Unlimited Ultimate, then you're eligible for 5G UW (ultra wide bandwidth) service along with the "regular" 5G and 4G LTE services.  5G UW runs considerably faster than the other stuff, but has a limited service area because the radio waves don't travel as far.  Depending on the type of 5G cells used in a 5G UW coverage area, download speeds on 5G UW can run anywhere between 200-1000Mbps.  But since not all areas can get 5G UW, you would get "regular" 5G or 4G if the UW service isn't available.

The cheapest plan offering 5G UW access is the top-level prepaid plan (I forget what that's called, but look in the Prepaid plans section on Verizon's website if you're curious).  No frills on prepaid so it's cheaper, but you will also be deprioritized to the postpaid customers, so your overall data speeds will still be slower than postpaid customers.

Hope that helps.  🙂

[update] If you want to find out whether your phone supports 5G UW, you can use a search engine to look up the specs for your phone.  Verizon uses n77 for mid-band 5G UW (C-band) and n260 and n261 (mmWave) high-band 5G UW, so if the phone supports those radio frequencies, it will work on Verizon's 5G UW.

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I'm not a Verizon employee, just another customer trying to help.
Ericuse165
Enthusiast - Level 3

I switched my plan to receive UWB speeds but I think it's a rip off and Verizon is not delivering on service. According to Verizons website and coverage maps. Verizon UWB is available in my city and down to my town and exact address I am in coverage of UWB and should receive the right speeds. Do I get UWB speeds? NO I don't get the UWB speeds nor do I see a special icon on my phone. The speeds I receive are 5Mbps inside and 20Mbps outside and in city center 100Mbps not UWB. So incase it might of been my phone I deactivated it and the activated my old phone. Which I know has a special icon that shows when you are in UWB area because I have seen it before. The icon doesn't show nor do I get better speeds. The phone is Motorola One 5G UW but my new phone is Motorola Edge 2023. So right now I am getting 5g Nationwide and you tell me it's a tiny better the LTE and I am paying for and according to Verizon in coverage of UWB. I understand that speeds and proformance will vary and will be better in other areas. But when Verizon says and shows clearly that your in coverage and should be getting and you don't not even a little better. It makes you upset and gets you to wonder. The maps are showing wrong information or I am missing something. I attached a picture of my location on Verizons map and you tell me what you get from it. https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtxxebpM5QtOgvMOE_sri58-qAwYVw

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SynthpopAddict
Master - Level 3

I looked up the specs for the Motorola Edge 2023 and Verizon's high-band mmWave 5G UW (n260, n261) is not supported by this phone.  C-band 5G UW (n77) is supported.  But if your ZIP code only uses mmWave for the 5G UW coverage, you're out of luck and are better off going back to Unlimited Welcome.  This is something you'd have to ask Verizon support about, as 5G UW can either be C-band, mmWave, or possibly both depending on location.

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I'm not a Verizon employee, just another customer trying to help.