Verizon's 5G network now reaches gigabit download speeds

What a difference a few weeks can make. Last month, I came to Chicago for the launch of Verizon's 5G network, which is now operational both here and in Minneapolis. The first 5G device was Moto Z3 equipped with MotoMod 5G from Motorola, and my experience – and that of many other high-tech journalists – was not positive: 5G coverage was extremely difficult to find. Speeds were noticeably faster than LTE, but not so badly.

But today marks the release of the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, worth $ 1,400, which will be briefly a Verizon exclusive before switching to other operators. And now that there is a real 5G phone on its network, Verizon has sped up things. The coverage remains extremely limited: it varies considerably from one block to another.

But when you find a good place, it's amazing. I just did a speed test that went through 1 Gbps, and my mind is frankly a little upset. It's in the real world, where my iPhone XS Max barely reaches 20 Mbps at the same place.

Download speeds on Verizon's 5G network now appear to be a leap forward in new generation compared to current LTE performance. Exceeding 700 Mbps is very common, and crossing this gigabit marker can happen regularly if you stand near one of the operator's 5G nodes, which uses millimeter-wave technology to achieve faster download speeds.

I'm still in Chicago to test solutions, but here are some quick tests I've done:

• The pilot episode of Office downloaded from Netflix with a "high" quality in eight seconds. This is not a typo.
• I went down Marvel The Iron Man 2 from the application Amazon Prime Video to the best quality in 90 seconds.

When it comes to download speeds, you also need to consider the benefits other side. Are the servers and CDNs of your favorite streaming services optimized for this level of performance of a mobile network? For home broadband, maybe. But we are entering a new era of potential for devices in our pocket.

Let me balance that enthusiasm a bit: the deployment of 5G will take years before we reach the same saturation coverage and general coverage that currently exists with LTE. Millimeter wave technology alone will not suffice: the coverage inside Verizon's 5G network is virtually non-existent, which is a major problem. And for now, downloads are still limited to LTE on Verizon's 5G network. Connection sharing with the Galaxy S10 5G is not yet supported (at 5G speeds), which is annoying.

Speeds drop quickly when you walk in a block from any 5G node and the 5G signal disappears when you lose line of sight. Surprisingly, the 5G icon only appears when your phone is actively using the data. At all other times, it displays 4G. It is therefore difficult to know exactly when you leave a 5G coverage area. As it is convenient for a very young network! And as impressive as these speeds are, remember that there is virtually no one on Verizon's 5G network right now. What will happen to these 1 Gbps speed tests once people actually start buying 5G devices in considerable numbers? All this to say that the purchase of a $ 1,400 phone like the Galaxy S10 5G, when the coverage remains satisfactory, still seems ridiculous to me.

But damn it's fast. And these speeds reached by Verizon in Chicago and Minneapolis will only push the rivals of the company to put on the same footing. Unfortunately, my time with the S10 5G will be rather limited; Although the device can be purchased at current stores, Verizon and Samsung limit the press to just a few hours. I hope that both companies reconsider their thinking, because it is starting to look like a different network. A real 5G. Even though it's on one street and the next, I've never seen anything so fast.