Different price 5G packages, different network speeds! It turns out that 5G also has different levels?

Using the same 5G network, some users can watch high-definition videos without interruption, while others can experience “no network service”. What is going on?

According to the packages announced by many telecom operators, even if they are all 5G networks, the 5G network services enjoyed by packages of different prices are different.

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5G network services are divided into premium and ultra-fast

After the news that 4G packages can also use 5G networks was made public, the 5G network speed grading also began to emerge.

On January 12, according to a diagram reprinted by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's WeChat official account "Gongxin Micro News", if you are currently using a 4G package, as long as your 5G phone is set up correctly and within the 5G network coverage, you can also access the 5G network. The above diagram also points out that if you use a 5G package, you can enjoy faster 5G network services.

The reporter noticed that some telecom operators have divided 5G network services into premium and ultra-fast in some packages. For example, the description of China Mobile's Enjoy Package shows that starting from December 27, 2019, those who switch to 30GB and 50GB packages will automatically be connected to the 5G Premium Service; those who switch to 100GB and above will automatically be connected to the 5G Ultra-fast Service.

China Unicom has also made a tiered approach to 5G packages. Only 5G packages of 199 yuan per month or above can enjoy ultra-fast services, while the following are premium services.

What is the difference between "Premium" and "Extreme"?

The packages announced by some operators show that compared with premium services, 5G high-speed services have priority access to the network in areas with busy networks.

More netizens feel that in terms of network speed experience, "A 5G logo appears in the upper right corner of the phone. Is this the 5G network speed? Why doesn't it feel so fast?" This is because, although it is the same 5G network, if you apply for packages of different prices, users will perceive it differently during use.

Some media reported that through actual testing, using the same 5G network, the network speed of the same mobile phone when using a 5G package is about twice as fast as when using a 4G package.

The operator explained that it will differentiate user services based on the busyness of the 5G network, giving priority to high-speed users. The good news is that as more and more 5G base stations are built in China, the busyness of the 5G network is expected to improve in the future.

The 2020 Communications Industry Statistical Bulletin released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology recently shows that in 2020, 5G network construction has progressed steadily. In accordance with the principle of moderate advancement, more than 600,000 new 5G base stations have been built, and more than 718,000 5G base stations have been put into operation. Among them, China Telecom and China Unicom have jointly built and shared more than 330,000 5G base stations. The 5G network has covered all cities at the prefecture level and above and key counties and cities across the country.

The speed rating is not clearly indicated, so you have to test it yourself?

Currently, operators have not announced how to rank the network speeds in 5G services. However, according to consumer feedback, a basic principle is "how much money you spend, how fast the network you use".

As mentioned in the MIIT diagram above, compared with using 4G packages to use 5G networks, using 5G packages can enjoy faster 5G network services. At present, 5G packages are more expensive than 4G packages in most cases.

Some operators also use the "4G package + 5G data package" method to allow users to enjoy 5G network speed. Although the 4G package can use the 5G network, if you can't enjoy the faster 5G network speed, the above upgrade package is obviously meaningless.

China Telecom mentioned in a "perfect 99 yuan package" that if you subscribe to this package, you can also apply for a 19 yuan 10GB data package to enjoy 5G network speed. But it is not clear how fast the 5G network is after subscribing to this data package? Can you enjoy the high-speed 5G network with only the 19 yuan data package? Or can you also enjoy it with the original 99 yuan package?

Independent telecom analyst Fu Liang said in an interview with China News Service that in fact, regarding 5G packages, operators have already taken some actions in the second half of 2020, namely, adding some 5G benefits to 4G package users and guiding users to transition to 5G packages.

As of the end of December 2020, the number of China Mobile's 5G package users has reached 165 million, and the number of China Telecom's 5G package users has reached 86.5 million. China Unicom has not announced the number of 5G package users separately, but the market generally predicts that the number of China Unicom's 5G package users is similar to that of China Telecom.

However, there is currently no exact data on how fast the Internet speeds are enjoyed by users of these 5G packages.