Ookla speedtest

If your XS says 4G, you are really on the 3G network. Because of higher data speeds using the HSPA+ protocol, ATT labels an iPhone data connection to the 3G network as 4G but it isn’t. You would need to see LTE or 5Ge for the speed test to register 4G. 

Interesting. So February 2022 they’ll fix my signal problems when they drop all 3G?  

If you are on 3G all the time then you need to check your settings.  Or you need a new cell carrier.

Not all the time. Fluctuates back and forth. Been with verizon same problem. Had nine good months with AT&T before they started doing the same thing. 

official response from AT&T customer satisfaction “you are in a limited service area”. I’m hoping the tower upgrades to drop 3g will improve things. 

As they shut down 3G, I believe most of that spectrum will be shifted to 5G, so your ability to connect to LTE may not improve. You may need to get a 5G phone to see any improvement.

My iPhone XS will handle 5g-e. I saw it one time driving on the interstate outside of Charlotte NC.

I live in the country so true 5g won’t be added to my tower. 

5Ge is not 5G, it is enhanced LTE, in other words still 4G. Not sure why you think living in the country means you won’t get true 5G.

I thought true 5g was short range only. Not sure where I got that idea.

Hey I would be happy with anything better than the “limited service “ I get now. You would think AT&T customer satisfaction would have told me just hang in there if that was the answer to my problems. 

5G comes in 3 flavors.  Low band mid band and high band.

You won't see high band in rural area but your will see the other 2

I thought true 5g was short range only.

No, not true. That depends on what frequency band they implement on and they likely won’t implement on any short range band in rural areas but they can still implement on those frequencies used for 3G. Whether or not 5G is the answer to your coverage issues, customer support would have no way of knowing. Perhaps that’s why they don’t just tell you to hang in there. The network folks don’t publicize what towers are getting 5G.

It wasn’t customer support; it was customer satisfaction aka “office of the president”. I imagine they’re not allowed to divulge plans for deploying 5g either.  All I can do is wait until February 2022 and decide whether to leave AT&T at that time. 

“network folks don’t publicize what towers are getting 5G”

are you saying not all towers will get 5g?  

are you saying not all towers will get 5g?

No, that is not what I’m saying since I have no idea. 

I have an old Wilson electronics booster that according to weboost will not support 5g. They also said “It's more likely that your carrier will repurpose their LTE bands rather than 3G band for their 5G network.”  So I’ll just go stand in my driveway next February to see if my signal strength has improved after AT&T “sunsets “ 3g.  

PS chat with AT&T like you’re interested in a new phone and you get answers. My zip code is supposed to get 5g in October 2021. My iPhone XS won’t handle 5g. My zip code is supposed to transmit 5g-e in October 2021. We’ll see. It will be warmer then than in February.