5G is either going to be much cheaper or much more expensive
US carriers warn it could be more expensive, while China Telecom says basic plans will be cheaper
5G is coming soon, but how much is it going to cost you? In China, it could cost dramatically less… while carriers in the US are already warning that it could cost more.
At issue here is the new wave of internet-connected devices enabled by 5G. It’s expected to allow many more devices to stay online -- everything from smart home gadgets to tiny sensors to driverless cars.
Why 5G isn't just faster video streaming on your smartphone
China Telecom, one of the country’s top three carriers, says you’ll be able to save a lot if you don’t have those devices. But in the US, AT&T says the added load from all those devices will likely mean that users will have to pay more.
With faster connection speeds, 5G users will likely consume more data than they do currently with 4G. Gao said carriers would likely charge data in units of 10GB -- which means, gone are the days of a 1GB data plan.