5G is the fifth-generation cellular network. Sub-6 GHz 5G covers wide areas with moderate speeds. mmWave (24+ GHz) offers gigabit speeds but only in dense urban hotspots.
Sub-6 GHz 5G: typical 100–500 Mbps real-world, broad coverage, replaces 4G LTE everywhere. mmWave 5G: 1–4 Gbps real-world, but only over very short distances (a few hundred meters), blocked by walls.
Global trend: most countries deploy sub-6 ubiquitously; mmWave is mainly USA stadium/airport deployments. Most international flagship phones drop mmWave radios.
5G SA (Stand-Alone): runs on dedicated 5G core, lower latency (~10 ms), enables network slicing. 5G NSA: piggybacks on 4G core, higher latency (~30 ms). Most carriers still use NSA in 2024.