As the world moves away from 4G in service of the far faster 5G cellular performance, questions still remain on the overall viability of the varied networks from region to region. Although there is no dispute that 5G is certainly a more powerful option in the face of alternatives, its relative infancy proves there remains a myriad of concerns for its widespread adoption, especially in the face of the far cheaper or oftentimes even free public wifi option.
However, data provided via OpenSignal in its most recently published report points to the diminishing use case for said public wifi as more 5G options become available. The analysis specifically focuses on the US, showcasing how 5G and mmWave 5G are in relation to public wifi counterparts found most prominently in schools, stores, and government buildings.
"There is a transformation in how 5G and Wifi speeds compare from the situation when we last looked at how U.S. Wifi and cellular speeds match up a year ago," reads the report. "Then as now, mmWave 5G was way faster than Wifi. Now for the first time, our users enjoy average download speeds with 5G that are indisputably faster than all types of Wifi network - Public Wifi or Other Wifi."
Despite previous years beating out the competition, it seems a combination of aged equipment, increased congestion, and limited access points have pitted public wifi offerings in the losing group compared to 5G. OpenSignal performed various tests and analyses, the main among them being multiplayer gaming on smartphones, which saw mmWave 5G beating out the rest by a wide margin, while normal 5G came just a bit under "other wifi," referring to home or office offerings.