Many operators now offer 5G offers for your mobile. Without having the network that goes with it…
5G has been a part of our daily lives for several years now. While many French people still have a 4G plan, some users are succumbing to the sirens of the higher generation and opting for a new plan with a 5G option. There are reportedly 14 million active SIM cards on 5G networks, or 17% of subscribers. The latter, supposedly faster or more efficient than the previous generation, is gradually being deployed in France, particularly via several network antennas.
On its website, Orange announces that it already covers nearly 70% of the territory with its 5G, particularly present in the largest cities. However, many users of 5G networks do not see any real difference with their old 4G network, except for a new small logo displayed on their phone. What if they were right and this new generation was not so interesting?
Contrary to popular belief, 5G is not completely new and independent. Of the approximately 50,000 relay antennas in France, only a handful are dedicated entirely to 5G. There is currently only one operator in France that offers true 5G. This is Free, which recently announced the release of “true” 5G SA to come to its subscribers. Why “SA”? Quite simply for “5G Stand Alone”, which therefore works thanks to antennas reserved exclusively for 5G. To be sure of benefiting from true 5G, you will therefore need to ensure that the plan is SA compatible (and also be near one of these antennas specially designed for the technology).
Other operators such as Orange, SFR or Bouygues Telecom rely on 5G networks that are not independent. The latter still rely on 4G infrastructures while therefore offering a faster connection speed, but which is not a real 5th generation of telecommunications. Non-SA 5G (or NSA) only allows for a gradual increase in power compared to 4G.
In concrete terms, 5G NSA has a higher latency time and a lower throughput than “real 5G”. However, it remains much easier to deploy and less expensive to install since it relies on already existing antennas.
Also keep in mind that 5G (SA or NSA) consumes more battery than 4G. According to a recent study by the Visermark Institute, the latest generation of telecommunications consumes on average 10% more battery compared to 4G. If you frequently struggle with the battery life of your phone, you might as well consider switching to 5G with certain operators.