4G LTE vs. 5G backup internet

What 5G actually means here

"5G" covers a wide range of service. Some 5G runs on the same kind of airwaves as LTE and performs about the same, a bit faster. Some uses higher frequencies that are much faster but travel shorter distances and struggle through walls. What you get depends on your carrier, your area and your building.

Every 5G router also speaks LTE and falls back to it automatically where 5G isn't available or is weaker. So buying 5G hardware doesn't lock you out of anything; it just gives you the option where 5G is good.

What actually decides how good your backup is

• Signal strength and quality at the spot where the router sits. Moving a router from a back office to a front window can matter more than the difference between LTE and 5G.
• Which carrier is strongest at your address. Coverage maps are a starting point; the real test is the signal inside your building.
• What you'll run during an outage. Card payments, phones and cloud software need far less speed than video meetings or large uploads.
• Your building. Metal roofs, concrete and low-E glass all weaken signal. An external antenna can fix a building that blocks it.

When 5G is worth paying for

If good 5G coverage reaches your location and you expect to do heavier work during an outage, such as keeping a whole office on video calls or using cellular as your main connection, a 5G router gives you more headroom. The same goes for sites where cellular is the primary connection, like job trailers.

If your backup only needs to keep registers, phones and cloud software running, LTE is usually enough, and an LTE router may cost less.

Choosing hardware

Start with what you have. Many business routers and firewalls accept a second internet connection, either a built-in modem slot, a USB modem or a second WAN port for a separate cellular router. If yours does, you may not need new hardware at all.

If you do need a router, we recommend Peplink models: the MAX BR1 Mini 5G ($549) is compact and works well in vehicles and small sites, and the MAX BR1 Pro 5G ($999) is built for heavier use and better antennas. Both handle failover automatically.

Test before you commit

FAILOVER5 plans run on Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile from $88 a month, month to month, so you're not stuck if a carrier turns out to be weak at your site.

1. Pick the spot where the router would go.
2. Check signal on your carriers of choice at that spot. A phone's field test mode or a carrier's coverage check is a start.
3. If signal is marginal, try a higher spot or a window, or plan for an external antenna.
4. Choose the carrier with the strongest, steadiest signal there, whether it's LTE or 5G.

Antennas: the cheapest upgrade

If the signal inside your building is weak, an external antenna often helps more than any router upgrade. The antenna mounts outside, on a wall or the roof, and connects to the router with a cable. It sees the tower without fighting through metal, brick or tinted glass.

Antennas matter most in metal buildings like warehouses and shops, in basements and interior rooms, and at rural sites far from a tower. Routers with external antenna connectors, like the Peplink MAX BR1 Pro 5G, make this simple. Ask us before you order if you think your building will need one.

Backup internet for

• Retail stores
• Construction sites
• Multi-location businesses