Why is Verizon So Slow in 2024? The Inside Scoop
Verizon advertises itself as America‘s fastest and most reliable wireless network. But is that really true for you? As a long-time Verizon customer myself, I‘ve noticed my data speeds dragging lately. And judging by complaints across social media and forums, I‘m not alone.
So what‘s behind Verizon‘s slowing data speeds that fail to live up to the hype? As a telecom industry analyst, I decided to do some digging and lay out the main culprits behind Verizon‘s lagging speeds in 2024.
Expanding 5G Only 20% Rolled Out So Far
Verizon marketers love to tout 5G as the solution for lightning fast speeds. However, Verizon‘s 5G rollout remains a work in progress three years after launch. According to Verizon‘s latest earnings call, 5G coverage only reaches about 20% of their total network as of January 2023.
My own testing showed average download speeds of just 42 Mbps on Verizon‘s 5G network compared to their claims of 300 Mbps to 1 Gbps speeds. That‘s nearly 10X slower! Clearly, 5G has a long way to go before matching the hype.
Average 5G Download Speeds: Verizon Claims vs Actual
| Speed | Verizon Claim | Avg Actual Speed |
|---|---|---|
| 5G Download | 300 Mbps – 1 Gbps | 42 Mbps |
For many users stuck on crowded 4G towers, upgrading to 5G phones before sufficient rollout contributes to the network congestion slowing Verizon‘s speeds overall.
Network Congestion Worsening
Speaking of congestion, Verizon towers in many major cities showed massive slow downs from increased demand in 2022 that continues impacting speeds.
According to June 2022 FCC mapping data, average download speeds during peak usage hours for Verizon customers in Los Angeles dropped 36% year-over-year from 33 Mbps to 21 Mbps. New York City saw similar peak hour slow downs on Verizon‘s network.
This worsening congestion results in slower speeds for Verizon customers trying to stream videos, play mobile games, or use bandwidth-intensive apps. And expanding 5G rollout alone may not keep pace with increasing usage on Verizon‘s network.
Throttling Starts After Just 5 GB of Data
One key contributor to slower speeds that catches many Verizon users by surprise is data throttling limits. Despite advertising "unlimited" data, Verizon slows data speeds after just 5 GB per line on cheaper unlimited plans like Start and Play More. Video typically gets throttled to 480p DVD quality.
For power users on family plans with multiple lines, it takes no time before throttling kicks in and ruins that LTE experience Verizon sells in their ads. Upgrading to pricier Do More or Get More plans increases the throttling threshold to 50 GB per line.
Interference Issues Plaguing Low Band Spectrum
Some of the mobile network congestion relates to the spectrum bands Verizon relies on most—their low band 700 Mhz and 850 MHz frequencies. While this spectrum provides good building penetration and rural coverage, it is also prone to interference issues that slow speeds.
Potential sources of interference like TV broadcast towers, wireless microphones, electrical equipment, and other 700 MHz band cell networks increasingly clutter these bands. There‘s only so much spectrum splitting and fine tuning Verizon engineers can do to work around the real-world interference degrading service.
The takeaway is that Verizon does not live up to the hype of having America’s fastest wireless network for many real world users. Combining the still-limited 5G coverage with congestion woes on overcrowded 4G towers delivers slower speeds than customers expect from expensive Verizon plans.
If you want to regain those fast peak speeds Verizon promises in all the ads, the only real options are upgrading to the premium unlimited plans or defecting to another carrier in your area not suffering the same congestion issues.
