These are the top reasons Americans don’t have 5G connectivity

The biggest telecommunications companies in the United States have been pushing the promise of their 5G networks for years now, telling consumers to envision high-speed, broadband level downloads while on the go. But so far, despite rapid rollout of 5G networks by companies like T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T, Americans have been slow to adopt the next-generation mobile network. Why are Americans lagging behind while other countries rapidly adopt the technology?

There are a number of reasons that Americans are lagging behind on 5G adoption, according to a survey conducted by Speedcheck.org. At the top of the list: a simple lack of the proper devices. More than one in three Americans do not have a phone that is 5G compatible. There are a number of reasons for this slow adoption, but the most likely explanation is that most people are simply holding onto their phones for longer. The end of the two-year contracts that lock you into a device and encourage you to upgrade or trade in the device regularly has resulted in people stretching out the lives of their smartphones. 5G compatible smartphones have only been available for a few cycles — the iPhone 12 was the first of Apple’s flagship phones to support the network — so many people simply have not bought their first 5G smartphone yet. That could be changing soon, though. According to Fierce Wireless, 60 percent of smartphones sold in the U.S. in the third quarter of the fiscal year were 5G compatible.

The next biggest hang up for Americans: lack of 5G service in their area. While the big mobile carriers claim to cover as much as 90 percent of the country with 5G service, Speecheck.org’s survey found that nearly three in 10 Americans still don’t have access to a 5G network. Currently, T-Mobile provides the best 5G coverage, both in terms of availability and performance, according to a study conducted by OpenSignal. As other networks catch up, more Americans will be able to connect.

A small percentage of Americans, 6.3 percent, reported that their mobile provider does not support 5G yet. While much of the conversation about mobile service providers focuses on companies like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, smaller carriers do not have the infrastructure to expand to 5G at this point. Another 8.4 expressed concern that 5G was simply to expensive at this time. Currently, most carriers do not charge more for access to their 5G network.

Another 6.4 percent of Americans are expressed concerns about health-related issues that may stem from 5G networks. There was a period of time when people feared that 5G towers were causing the spread of the coronavirus. This has been widely debunked and should not be a cause for

concern. There is no indication that there are any health concerns related to 5G networks. Forbes