At Twigby, when we were informed that the Sprint network will be closing in December 2021 – we immediately started to review our available network options. Sprint’s service had worked well for our customers and allowed us to deliver the best value in wireless. But we change with the times.
We were excited to test the network that made claims of the largest 5G network. However, we found that in most cases, our customers lost coverage on a nationwide basis, and we felt that was unacceptable. The evolution to 5G will happen in time. There is still a lot of room for it to expand. Until then, 4G networks provide more than ample speeds with great reliability and availability. Besides, with the only advantage of 5G being speed, the use of 5G could lead to higher customer bills as they use more data.
What is the benefit of 5G over 4G?
When networks evolved from 3G to 4G, it was a big deal. We saw average speeds increase by 10x or more. With the move from 3G to 4G, it allowed for video streaming almost anywhere you traveled. 5G will offer faster speeds than 4G, but there aren’t many applications that use more data than video. So, if you can stream video now with 4G, you may not realize much benefit from 5G yet.
Also, 4G phones will continue to work for many years. For example, 4G launched almost 10 years ago and we are seeing 3G phones phasing out at the end of this year. If you look to that history, then we likely have another 10 years of use with 4G phones. Plus, Wi-Fi is a readily available option that is usually free to use.
4G in the United States Offers the Best Overall Coverage
Let’s take a deeper dive into 4G. Afterall, 4G is what really matters today. It is by far the standard. Not all coverage is equal. When the big carriers talk about coverage, some carriers cover much more than others. At Twigby, we partnered with the carrier that covers the most and has the best coverage. And you don’t have to take our word for it.
The FCC created a map showing what 4G coverage actually was by carrier in the U.S. Take a look at the link below if you are interested. Twigby is now using the carrier that shows the most coverage throughout the country. Some carrier’s coverage looks a bit like Swiss cheese, lots of holes and gaps throughout. At Twigby, we give our customers the best.
The link is: 4G LTE Coverage as of May 15, 2021 (AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile, UScellular, Verizon) (arcgis.com).
Do I need 5G?
As mentioned earlier, the only real advantage of 5G is speed. Speed is vital when it comes to streaming videos. Streaming is the biggest use of high-speed data. You don’t need 5G to stream videos though. We found that the best quality 4G network still provided data speeds that exceed the speeds for great video streaming on phones.
If streaming video is likely your biggest data need, then 4G will continue to meet your needs for a long time. However, we know 5G is the latest hype, and if you think you need to keep up with your friends – it certainly doesn’t hurt anything. 5G phones will use 4G networks so there is no coverage loss. 5G phones are starting to somewhat lower in price, but you will still find that 4G phones are considerably less expensive and are the biggest bang for your buck.
We have a 5G phone on our website that we believe is a great value. At Twigby, we’ve always tried to educate our customers on how to save money. The simple truth is that 4G will work well for many years to come and 5G is very much in its infancy. Then add the availability of using Wi-Fi for much of your data needs, the truth is you probably already have much more than you need.
Twigby offers even more on price advantages. Pay by month instead of paying many months up front
Some carriers advertise a low price, but then you have to pay for months of service or even up to a year in advance. That’s almost worse than signing a contract because you’re all out of cash up front. We earn your business every month at Twigby. You pay a low price every month, and you don’t have to pay for 3, 6, or 12 months in advance. You can also cancel at any time, and you only pay us one month at a time.
Our new coverage is incredible. It’s the best in the country without a doubt. Our new carrier partner not only has the best 4G network, but it’s also building 5G to be just as good. However, while 5G sounds cool – we have to admit – we don’t know when you’ll really need it, especially with Wi-Fi being readily available in most place.
Twigby is still the only wireless company (or at least that we know) that doesn’t use the fear of high overcharges if you exceed your plan’s minutes or data limits. When you combine our new network coverage with our pricing – Twigby remains the best value in wireless.