如果你生活在美國的東北部或中西部，渴望擁有更快的無線網絡，也許再稍微等等就能實現了。美國電話電報公司（AT&T）、威瑞森（Verizon）、德國電信公司（T-mobile）已經開始推出超高速的第五代無線網絡服務，又稱5G網，首批覆蓋區域顯然更偏向西部和南部。

威瑞森于今年10月開始在四個地區推出家用5G服務，包括薩克拉門托、休斯頓、洛杉磯和印第安納波利斯。周二，AT＆T宣布要推出更加雄心勃勃的移動5G業務，可通過售價為500美元的美國網件公司（Netgear）便攜式Wi-Fi熱點設備使用。該服務首批覆蓋12個城市，包括亞特蘭大、達拉斯、新奧爾良和杰克遜維爾。2019年上半年，AT＆T的第二期業務將涵蓋洛杉磯、拉斯維加斯、舊金山等西部大城市。

總體而言，其中唯一的一個中西部城市是印第安納波利斯，但紐約、波士頓、華盛頓特區、芝加哥、圣路易斯、底特律、費城都不在名單中。

T-Mobile則或許會成為被忽略地區的救星。這家排名第三的運營商表示，首批5G網絡覆蓋范圍將包括全美國前十大城市中的六個，但到目前為止僅公布了洛杉磯和紐約。所以大概意思就是這樣了。

難道和寒冷天氣中的5G信號強度有關？讓我們先把陰謀論放一邊。但有些地區覆蓋較晚可能和業務有關，也可能因為基礎設施。南部和西部的增長速度快于美國國內的其他地區（盡管亞馬遜和谷歌最近要在其它地區建新總部）。此外，當地的土地便宜充足，或許更易建立起5G所需的網絡，成本也更低。

另一方面，被忽略地區的顧客可能是幸運的。最早的5G服務和設備看起來沒那么有吸引力。至少威瑞森和AT＆T初期業務使用的是高頻毫米波無線電波，比如28千兆赫的波段。這些頻段的信號可以傳輸大量數據，但傳播距離短，無法穿透樹木等障礙物，也就是說信號會不太穩定。分析師對早期5G手機的重量和電池壽命表示擔憂。并且有傳言稱，5G版iPhone最快也要等到2020年。所以我想對同住在東北地區的同胞們說：我們可以先等其他人把問題解決。等5G已經準備好為我們服務時，我們再準備迎接5G。

更新：我漏掉了Sprint最近宣布的消息，它們將于2019年上半年推出使用“移動智能中心”的5G服務，服務范圍包括芝加哥、紐約、華盛頓特區等9個城市。然而這家第四大運營商還沒有公布價格。（財富中文網）

譯者：Agatha

If you live in the northeast or the midwest and crave faster wireless Internet, you may be in for a bit of a wait. AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile have started to roll out their super-fast fifth generation, or 5G, wireless services and the initial regions have a decidedly western and southern flavor.

Verizon’s first four markets for its home 5G service, which opened in October, are Sacramento, Houston, Los Angeles, and Indianapolis. On Tuesday, AT&T announced its even more ambitious mobile 5G service, usable via a $500 Netgear portable Wi-Fi hotspot. The first 12 cities getting service include Atlanta, Dallas, New Orleans, and Jacksonville. A second wave from AT&T coming in the first half of 2019 covers some big western cities including L.A., Las Vegas, and San Francisco.

In all, there’s a single midwestern city of Indianapolis—but nothing for New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, Philadelphia, and so on.

Maybe T-Mobile will be a savior for the neglected regions. The number three carrier says its 5G network will start in six of the 10 largest cities, but has named only Los Angeles and New York, so far. So there’s that.

Does it have to do with 5G signals in cold weather? Let’s not start that conspiracy theory. But the regional hold up may be business related or perhaps due to infrastructure. The south and west have been growing faster than other parts of the country (Amazon and Google’s recent headquarters decisions not withstanding). Also land is cheaper and more plentiful there, perhaps making it easier and less costly to build out the networks needed to offer 5G.

On the other hand, customers in the neglected regions may be lucky. The earliest 5G services and devices look a little less than compelling. At least for Verizon and AT&T, the first services rely on high frequency, so-called millimeter wave airwaves, like 28 GHz. Signals in those bands carry lots of data but don’t travel far or penetrate obstacles like trees, meaning coverage will be spotty for a while. Analysts are also raising concerns about the weight and battery life of early 5G phones. And rumor has it there won’t be a 5G iPhone until at least 2020. So to my fellow northeasterners I say: Let’s let everyone else work out the kinks. We’ll be ready for 5G when 5G is ready for us.

Update: I missed Sprint’s recent announcement of a 5G service using a “mobile smart hub” coming in the first half of 2019 to nine cities, including Chicago, New York, and Washington, D.C. No pricing yet from the fourth-largest carrier.