At the end of last year, an Ookla report positioned the U.S. as the world leader for 5G availability, but when compared to other early 5G adopting countries, it fell short in the category of 5G speed, ranking dead last.
However, something big has happened in the U.S. since December that changed the 5G game: C-band. C-band is mid-band spectrum between 3.7 and 4 GHz, and when further considered alongside CBRS, which is mid-band spectrum from 3.5 GHz to 3.7 GHz that was authorized for wireless service provider commercialization in 2020, the overall 5G spectrum landscape in the U.S. is rapidly evolving. And because the lack of available mid-band spectrum for 5G in the U.S. is the likely culprit behind the country’s poor speed performance, this year’s speed rankings might look different than last year’s.
