Despite bold promises, 5G networks do not always deliver a clear advantage over 4G/LTE, an international team of scientists from European and U.S. universities has found. The study, conducted under the auspices of the IMDEA Networks Institute, showed that in some cases 5G performs at the same level as its predecessor, and sometimes even falls short in terms of response time. The results raise doubts about the rush toward 6G.

The Study: 5G vs. 4G

Researchers analyzed a year’s worth of data collected in eight major cities: Berlin, Turin, Oslo, Porto, Madrid, Vancouver, Boston, and the San Francisco Bay Area. They examined data transfer speed, signal latency, and network reliability.

“The differences between operators are striking: some 5G networks perform excellently in uplink (user-to-network data transmission), while others hardly differ from LTE,” said co-author Imran Khan of Northeastern University (USA).

Claudio Fiandrino, associate professor at IMDEA Networks, added: “5G deployment in large cities has stabilized, but there is no consistent advantage in latency. Everything depends on the operator: spectrum, base station density, and use of edge technologies.”

Why Isn’t 5G Always Better?

Key findings of the study:

  • Signal latency: in some scenarios, 5G does not surpass 4G in responsiveness, especially in overloaded networks.
  • Infrastructure: performance depends on the number of base stations and allocated frequency spectrum.
  • Technologies: cloud and edge computing play a crucial role, but their rollout is uneven.

For example, in Berlin and Oslo, some operators provide excellent performance, while in other cities 5G works at the level of 4G due to infrastructure limitations.

The Danger of Rushing Into 6G

The researchers caution against a premature transition to 6G:

  • Risk of disappointment: bold promises of new technologies may not be fulfilled without fixing current problems.
  • Wasteful spending: investments in 6G could divert resources away from filling coverage gaps and addressing spectrum shortages.
  • Real priorities: improving 5G through infrastructure optimization is more important than a new standard.

“Money could end up going into 6G marketing rather than actual improvements in coverage and quality,” the authors emphasized.

What Does This Mean for Users?

For users, this means that switching to a 5G smartphone does not always guarantee a leap in speed or reliability. Choosing the right operator and region is more important than simply having a 5G module in the device. In Russia, where 5G remains limited, 4G is still the foundation, and the difference may be minimal.

In Short…

5G networks are not always faster or more reliable than 4G, according to IMDEA Networks’ study. Performance depends on the operator, infrastructure, and technology—not just the standard itself. The rush toward 6G risks distracting from solving current issues. Users should focus on operators with the best coverage, rather than chasing the next generation of connectivity.