Does 5G deliver the user experience it promised?

We know how fast 4G, 5G and Wi-Fi networks can be. But what is the experience that the end user sees while using a smartphone through the day? In this Sparring Partners, Monica Paolini talked with Monisha Ghosh, University of Chicago and Bertrand Hochwald, University of Notre Dame about their measurements of user experience directly obtained from smartphones and of coverage across all sub-6 GHz bands.

The results were surprising, and reveal much about how complex networks work in dense urban environments. Monisha told us how 5G mmWave and midband, CBRS, LAA and Wi-Fi user experience compares to the 4G user experience.

From there we delved deeper into the implications of their analysis:

• Can we use our understanding of 5G user experience as a guide to design a better 6G?
• Can we optimize user experience with AI and ML?
• Can we improve the co-existence of LAA and 5G NRU with Wi-Fi?
• What tools can researchers use to quantify wireless network deployment and performance?