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CWSWine · 02-02-2023, 08:04 AM

I have the old Verizon unlimited grandfathered plan that several years old. I dropped the SIM into a Pepwave BR1 Pro 5G and to my surprise it came up on 5G and I have seen some Speedtest between 200 and 300. Below is the bands that Pepwave is using. What a nice surprise.

5G Band
5G Band n5 (850 MHz)
Bandwidth: 10 MHz
RSSI: -48dBm SINR: 19.0dB RSRP: -75dBm RSRQ: -11.0dB

LTE Band
LTE Band 66 (AMS 1700/2100 MHz)
Bandwidth: 20 MHz
RSSI: -61dBm SINR: 13.4dB RSRP: -93dBm RSRQ: -11.8dB

LTE Secondary Band (SSC1)
LTE Band 2 (1900 MHz)
Bandwidth: 10 MHz
RSSI: -67dBm RSRP: -88dBm

LTE Secondary Band (SSC2)
LTE Band 66 (AMS 1700/2100 MHz)
Bandwidth: 10 MHz
RSSI: -80dBm RSRP: -98dBm

jaydee325 · 02-02-2023, 09:16 AM

Had to replace my phone recently. Looked at the current Verizon plans and the incentives and decided I'd just buy the phone outright and not change plans because a new plan would have been another $30 a month with no perceived benefit.

I too noticed that 5G comes up where it's available.

CWSWine · 02-02-2023, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaydee325

Had to replace my phone recently. Looked at the current Verizon plans and the incentives and decided I'd just buy the phone outright and not change plans because a new plan would have been another $30 a month with no perceived benefit.

I too noticed that 5G comes up where it's available.

My Verizon plan is hotspot plan that is grandfathered and not currently available and I have put 400 to 800 gigs a month on it stream HD video and truly unlimited. The SIM was configured and purchased years before there was 5G but it coming up using 5G for my prepaid 65 dollars a month.

What I'm saying is that if you have the old grandfather Verizon plan you may get 5G with a 5G router. I'm using a Pepwave BR1 Pro 5G.

powercat_ras · 02-02-2023, 09:58 AM

As the cell carriers switch low and mid band frequencies out from 3G and 4G signals to 5G signals it is in their self interest for compatible devices to connect to it. It is less expensive for them to provide the service on 5G , other than the initial expense to bring it up. So, don't be surprised that a newer device uses 5G even if you don't change your price plan.

That said, all the US carriers are deploying equipment that can limit data usage quantity and maximum data speed so while it may connect to a 5G signal you may not get the same service level as someone on a current unlimited post paid price plan.

PJStough · 02-02-2023, 11:29 AM

I believe that whether you get 4-G or 5-G is based on your phone and not necessarily on your plan.

WDW · 02-04-2023, 05:38 AM

My mistake was that I updated two of our three phones to iPhone 14s before Verizon required you to switch data plans. Thus I have a grandfathered unlimited old plan with 5G service showing up. However, if I wanted to upgrade my third phone in our plan, I would then be required to change data plans. Not happening. Verizon may have the most reliable best Netwerk according to their advertising, and I believe I’ve paid for it every month!

glennwest · 02-06-2023, 10:06 AM

I have the unliminted grandfartered plan also. Everytime I ever go in a verzion store they insist I must loose this plan to update device. I go to Bestbuy and buy what I want and put my sim card in and it works. I really don't see a need to get 5g yet. I have seen times I wished my phone didn't get it. Phone on Visible. Sometimes it slower with 5g.

CWSWine · 02-06-2023, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glennwest

I have the unliminted grandfartered plan also. Everytime I ever go in a verzion store they insist I must loose this plan to update device. I go to Bestbuy and buy what I want and put my sim card in and it works. I really don't see a need to get 5g yet. I have seen times I wished my phone didn't get it. Phone on Visible. Sometimes it slower with 5g.

I heard other people say that sometimes 5G is slower but I have not seen that. I have a Pepwave BR1 Pro 5G that I can switch it to just 4G or 5G/4G I have check several times and 5G has always been faster not saying some day. I see just the opposite. What I have seen on T-Mobile is I can turn off bands to force T-Mobile to connect to Band 71 and increase my throughput . Being able to shut down bands on Verizon also has been useful. What I do is check the bands its on then shut those down and so it will reconnect using different bands then check throughput and see if is better throughput. Sometimes that works and sometime it doesn't.