Put Your 5G Upgrade on Pause
Don’t get your hopes up too soon. Widespread rollout of the faster wireless service could take years.

By now, you’ve probably heard about the promise of fifth-generation wireless, or 5G, with speeds up to 100 times faster than current networks. But don’t give up your 4G phone just yet. The transition to widely available 5G could stretch for as long as a decade. Even some mobile providers say the rollout will take three or four years, and that prediction is “absolutely optimistic,” says Dan Hays, a telecom principal with PwC US.
Blame physics: 5G data requires dense, higher-frequency radio waves to deliver its blazing speed. But the higher the wave frequency, the shorter the distance it can travel before petering out.
While a 4G tower can broadcast a signal for miles, a 5G tower’s range is about 1,000 feet. “You could have 5G available right outside your building but not have it down the block or inside your building,” Hays says.

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Before a city can adopt 5G wireless, it will need a lot of antennas, both outside and inside our homes. (Imagine 5G poles lining city blocks and router-like boxes in your kitchen.)
Most cities will also need to install miles of fiber-optic internet cable to support full 5G, a capital-intensive upgrade for most of the country’s existing broadband network.
Compared with the transition to 4G, “5G infrastructure is a fundamentally different challenge,” says Ernesto Falcon, of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. “It’s hundreds of billions of dollars of investment.”
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

-
The Most Tax-Friendly State for Retirement in 2025: Here It Is
Retirement Tax How do you retire ‘tax-free’? This state doesn’t tax retirement income, has a low median property tax bill, and even offers savings on gas. Are you ready for a move?
-
Plan for Higher Health Care Costs in 2026: Projected Medicare Part B and Part D Premiums
In 2026, Medicare participants will pay more for their health care. Part B costs are expected to rise more than 10%. Here's what you can do.
-
I Let AI Read Privacy Policies for Me. Here's What I Learned
A reporter uses AI to review privacy policies, in an effort to better protect herself from fraud and scams.
-
Amazon Resale: Where Amazon Prime Returns Become Your Online Bargains
Feature Amazon Resale products may have some imperfections, but that often leads to wildly discounted prices.
-
What Is AI? Artificial Intelligence 101
Artificial intelligence has sparked huge excitement among investors and businesses, but what exactly does the term mean?
-
Roth IRA Contribution Limits for 2025
Roth IRAs Roth IRA contribution limits have gone up. Here's what you need to know.
-
Four Tips for Renting Out Your Home on Airbnb
real estate Here's what you should know before listing your home on Airbnb.
-
Five Ways to a Cheap Last-Minute Vacation
Travel It is possible to pull off a cheap last-minute vacation. Here are some tips to make it happen.
-
How Much Life Insurance Do You Need?
insurance When assessing how much life insurance you need, take a systematic approach instead of relying on rules of thumb.
-
When Is Amazon Prime Day? Everything We Know, Plus the Best Deals on Apple, Samsung and More
Amazon Prime Amazon Prime Day is four days this year. Here are the key details you need to know, plus some of our favorite deals to shop during the sale.