5G Nationwide vs. 5G Ultra Wideband: Which One Is Better?

Lately, you may have been hearing quite a bit about 5G. When you are, you hear terms such as “5G Nationwide” and “5G Ultra Wideband (UWB)” tossed around. It is very confusing when trying to decipher what they even mean and how it impacts your phone’s speed and performance. In this tutorial, we will explain everything as simply as possible. By the end, you’ll know how these two flavors of 5G differ and, more importantly, which one is better for you.

Is There a Difference Between 5G Nationwide and 5G Ultra Wideband?

Yes! There’s a big difference between 5G Nationwide and 5G Ultra Wideband, and it all comes down to speed and coverage.

• 5G Nationwide covers large areas, including most of the United States. It uses lower-frequency signals that can travel further. You can often access it about anywhere, even in rural areas, but keep in mind: It’s not as fast as Ultra Wideband. You can think of this as a reliable, steady internet connection that works most of the time but isn’t lightning-fast.
• 5G Ultra Wideband represents the hypercharged version of 5G. The higher-frequency waves here send data a lot faster but can’t travel that far. In other words, UWB will only be available in certain areas of your city or in stadiums. Once you fall within range, though, it is fast-perfect for anyone who downloads big files or games lag-free.

So, what it really boils down to is coverage versus speed. 5G Nationwide is everywhere, but it’s not that fast. UWB is ultra-fast but only in pockets. To put it bluntly:

A quick recap:

• 5G Nationwide: Wide coverage, decent speed, available almost everywhere.
• 5G Ultra Wideband: Small coverage, blazing-fast speeds, only available in select locations.

Is 5G Ultra Wideband Faster than 5G Nationwide?

Yes, 5G Ultra Wideband is much faster than 5G Nationwide. The difference in speed is like comparing an everyday car to a racecar.

With 5G Ultra Wideband, you can:

• Download entire movies in seconds.
• Stream in 4K with virtually no buffering.
• Game online with virtually no lag.

For comparison, think of 5G Nationwide being like a fast freeway that has some traffic: You most definitely will feel the upgrade compared to the older 4G networks, but it won’t blow your head off like UWB can. It’s great for everyday tasks: browsing the web, streaming YouTube videos, using social media.

In terms of numbers:

5G Ultra Wideband can reach as high as 1 Gbps, which is 1000 Mbps.

5G Nationwide is generally in the range of 50-100 Mbps, which is fast but not “download a movie in seconds” fast.

So, for speed, UWB is the outright winner. But this is not available everywhere as of now.

Is UWB Worth It?

Whether UWB is worth it depends on what you need from your phone’s connection. Here’s what to consider:

You find UWB worth it if you:

• Download or upload big-sized files frequently. For continuously working with big files, like videos or big documents, UWB saves you much time.
• Play your games online regularly. You won’t be bothered with lags, and playing competitive games turns out to be uncomfortable hell. Your reaction time is fast because the game responds as fast.
• Stream 4K videos or any other high-quality content: No matter whether movies or shows in 4K you watch or under your plans to stream content, UWB is worth the game.
• Live in a major city where UWB coverage is already available. If you live in or work in an area where the coverage of UWB is strong, then upgrading for that crazy speed surely is worth it.

UWB might not be worth it if:

• You only use your phone for regular stuff—web browsing, social media, and video watching at a standard definition—then UWB might not be worth it. And this, of course, is where 5G Nationwide is entirely capable of handling activities in the first place.
• You live outside of a city or other area with limited UWB coverage. UWB is still rolling out across the U.S.; hence, you are not likely to have its benefit if you reside in some countryside far from big cities.

Is 5G Ultra Wideband Good for Gaming?

Yes, 5G Ultra Wideband is great for gaming, especially those fast-run online ones, where at split-second decisions everything counts. Here’s why:

• Low Latency: This is probably the big one of the big ones, in terms of gaming. Latency refers to the delay between your action and its event in a game. In UWB, it is so low that delays are hardly seen; this will give you serious ground in games such as Fortnite or Call of Duty.
• Lightning Downloads: Remember when you needed to wait a hell of a lot of time in the past for the download of the game, or maybe some update? Well, those are the bygone days with UWB. With it, you get large game files downloaded within minutes, if not seconds.
• Smoother Streaming: When you game with services such as Xbox Cloud Gaming or PlayStation Now, you want fast and reliable connectivity. UWB gives this to you in terms of speed and reliability, for seamless streaming of games without interruptions or buffering.

That said, 5G Nationwide is still a great option for gaming on-the-go. You won’t get that super-low latency, but it’s a huge improvement on 4G, and it’ll see you through most online games just fine.

Does 5G Ultra Wideband Drain Battery?

5G Ultra Wideband can use more battery than 5G Nationwide, but it isn’t as bad as you might think.

Here’s why UWB can drain your battery faster:

• Your phone is supposed to work much harder in maintaining a UWB connection—when you’re at that place and its signal isn’t very strong.
• Another contributing issue is that UWB uses higher-frequency waves, which take more power to send out and receive.

It doesn’t mean the phone will die in hours. When you’re in an area with a strong UWB signal, your battery probably isn’t getting drained much faster than it does on 5G Nationwide—unless the difference is going to turn out quite noticeable in places with weak or patchy UWB coverage where your phone keeps trying to hold on to the signal.

To save your battery when you’re on UWB:

Turn off 5G when you don’t need it. Most phones will give you an option to switch back over to 4G, and unless you’re on a call playing AR cat games, you probably won’t need UWB.

Use Wi-Fi if you can. If you’re near some fast and solid Wi-Fi, that over 5G can be saved by your battery.

How Far Does 5G Ultra Wideband Go?

Well, let me disappoint you right off—the range of 5G Ultra Wideband isn’t as far-reaching as one would like. Unlike 5G Nationwide, which just about reaches you anywhere, UWB has relatively shorter ranges.

• Shorter range: UWB signals are not able to travel as long a range as those of Nationwide; they are on higher frequencies in the wave. These can obviously transfer data really fast but don’t travel through walls or buildings as easily.
• Limited coverage: Currently, UWB is found in highly populated areas: major cities, stadiums, airports, and large event venues. Currently, you will not find UWB in any rural area or most suburban neighborhoods.

So, if you’re in the right spot—like downtown in a major city—you’ll get blazing-fast speeds. But move a few blocks away, and you might drop back to regular 5G Nationwide.

Conclusion

So, which is better: 5G Nationwide or 5G Ultra Wideband? Here is the bottom line:

5G Nationwide is the default choice for many. It encompasses virtually the entire nation and has good-enough speeds for performing basic tasks—streaming, browsing, social media, and all that.

5G Ultra Wideband is perfect if you want only the fastest; this option would be your choice for hardcore gaming, multiple large files being downloaded, or 4K video streaming. This is still not supported by all places; hence, the benefit is dependent on location.

The bottom line is that 5G Nationwide offers reliability and wide reach, making it a great option for most in the U.S., while those in major cities or with good UWB coverage should go for UWB. It is continuously expanding, so more will fall under its coverage in the future to take advantage of the really fast speeds.

From super speed to just reliable coverage, 5G has something for everyone.