Radio Frequency (RF) & Wireless Design

Created by Steven Minichiello on 27 April, 2018

I came across this article which showcases the rollout of 5G cellular technology adoption in the United States and was curious to find that there is about 80% completed already with full completion due by the end of next year 2022 :

https://www.lifewire.com/5g-availability-us-4155914


As of January 2021, PwC reports that US mobile operators had collectively covered 75% of the country with 5G; expansion of 5% is expected by July (80% total).

  • Verizon: Fixed and mobile 5G all over the US.
  • AT&T: Mobile 5G in thousands of cities.
  • T-Mobile/Sprint: Available in thousands of locations.
  • UScellular: Works in parts of California, Iowa, Maine, and other states.
  • C Spire: Fixed and mobile 5G in Mississippi.
  • Charter's Spectrum Mobile: Began providing 5G in March 2020.
  • Comcast/Xfinity: Rolled out nationwide in October 2020.
  • Starry: Fixed 5G currently in Boston, Denver, LA, New York City, and Wash., D.C.
  • Google Fi & Simple Mobile: Nationwide coverage powered by T-Mobile.
  • Nex-Tech Wireless: Might launch in 2021.
  • US Mobile: 5G works with all of their plans.
  • Mint Mobile: Available in thousands of US cities since July 2020.
  • Cricket Wireless: Began offering services in August 2020.
  • Visible: Works through Verizon's network.
  • Dish: Expects a Q3 2021 launch.


It's interesting to see that cellular is no longer relegated to just the telephone community but is now part of the larger content providers that are using cable and satellite technologies !


So the convergence of content, all media becoming digital, and all delivery systems using the same mechanisms is interesting from a larger perspective considering these were all separate and disjunctive business models just a couple of decades ago.


With convergence also comes commoditization and ubiquitous mechanism that become transparent and merge into our new modern lifestyles. It's interesting to see how far technology has taken us in such a short period of human existence.