[Skip to content](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal/internet-help/the-difference-between-5g-and-wifi#maincontent) [The Signal](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal) - [Speed](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal/category/speed) - [Internet Devices](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal/category/internet-devices) - [Internet Help](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal/category/internet-help) - [All Blogs](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal/latest) - [ISP](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal/category/isp) - [Speed](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal/category/speed) - [Internet Devices](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal/category/internet-devices) - [Internet Help](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal/category/internet-help) - [All Blogs](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal/latest) - [ISP](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal/category/isp) 1. [The Signal](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal) 2. Category:[Internet Help](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal/category/internet-help) [Internet HelpCategory](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal/category/internet-help) # The Difference Between 5G and Wi-Fi Published: December 1, 2023 |4 min read It's impossible to go more than a day, or even a few hours, without hearing the term [5G](https://www.t-mobile.com/5g). Afterall, this game-changing technology is already starting to transform the way everybody stays wirelessly connected at home, at work, and on the go.  #### Jump to a Section 1. [What is 5G?](https://www.t-mobile.com#1) 2. [What is Wi-Fi?](https://www.t-mobile.com#2) 3. [What is Wi-Fi 6?](https://www.t-mobile.com#3) - Share "The Difference Between 5G and Wi-Fi" on X - Share "The Difference Between 5G and Wi-Fi" on Facebook - Share "The Difference Between 5G and Wi-Fi" on LinkedIn Just as you start to grasp the magnitude of 5G and everything it has to offer-suddenly terms like Wi-Fi get a bit more confusing. ¿Acaso no son ambas tecnologías inalámbricas? Si es así, ¿en qué se diferencian? The fact is: Wi-Fi and 5G *are* both wireless technologies, but they serve very different purposes. Exploraremos las diferencias entre 5G, la próxima generación de conectividad móvil, y wifi 6, el protocolo inalámbrico más reciente, y te mostraremos que son tecnologías claramente diferentes que pueden trabajar juntas para mantenerte conectado como nunca antes. In this handy guide, we'll answer the following questions, so you can better understand [what role the next generation of Wi-Fi plays in 5G](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal/speed/is-5g-home-internet-faster-than-regular-wi-fi) and how Wi-Fi 6 is different from past iterations: - __What is 5G?__ - __What is Wi-Fi?__ - __What is Wi-Fi 6?__ ## __What is 5G?__ [5G is the fifth generation of wireless technology](https://www.t-mobile.com/dialed-in/wireless/5g-vs-4g) and it's causing quite a stir as the newest global standard in a long line of mobile network standards, including 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G.This technology delivers high-speed, low-latency connectivity to mobile devices and a wide range of applications, including Internet of Things (IoT) devices and beyond. 5G has broad coverage that includes many urban city centers, suburban neighborhoods, and a growing number of rural areas. It has become crucial as society demands the super-high speeds needed to adopt everything from driverless vehicles to connected devices at home, like app-controlled lights, cameras, appliances, thermostats, voice assistants, security systems, and more. 5G will allow us to "cut the cord" like never before, opting for the freedom of wireless devices over the tethered computers and devices of yesteryear. ## [__What is Wi-Fi?__](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal/internet-devices/what-is-wifi) Wi-Fi is simply a term used to describe a *local* area network (LAN) that fills comparatively smaller spaces, like your home, office, or a public space like a café or airport, with wireless internet access. Wifi tiene un área de cobertura mucho más limitada que la red celular y se utiliza sobre todo para conectividad local. But even *local* [Wi-Fi connectivity](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal/speed/why-your-wi-fi-is-slow-and-how-to-fix-it) just in your living room could be sketchy at best with past iterations (like Wi-Fi 5 and older) keeping many of us tethered to cables . After all, older wireless [routers](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal/internet-help/difference-between-modem-router) worked okay for one (or maybe two) devices, but hard-wired [cable connections](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal/isp/ethernet-cables-lan-cables-home-internet) were often still necessary to combat slow internet, which would often arise when too many wireless devices in our home were connected to the same band. That's where Wi-Fi 6 came into play. ### __What is Wi-Fi 6?__ As we mentioned above, too many devices on the same wireless band used to bring older iterations of Wi-Fi to a halt. De repente, llegó wifi 6, el protocolo de redes wifi más reciente, y ha supuesto una enorme mejora con respecto a las versiones anteriores. Si bien wifi 6 también funciona en 2.4 GHz y 5 GHz, al igual que wifi 5, ahora tienen mayor cantidad de flujos en esas bandas. Sin entrar en demasiados tecnicismos, eso significa simplemente que wifi 6 tiene la capacidad de ofrecer mayores velocidades de conexión. Add a 5G network to the mix and suddenly companies like T-Mobile, which were once just mobile phone service providers, are now able to compete with internet service providers (ISPs) to offer home internet using a [Wi-Fi 6 Gateway](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/gateway) that connects your home to the internet via their 5G network. Así que, en realidad, no hay uno mejor que el otro. Wi-Fi 6 and 5G are simply two different things that can now work together to address the problems that once came with trying to use a lot of connected devices within a densely packed area.  ### __The breakdown__ Today's 5G and Wi-Fi 6 technologies are teaming up to make wireless 5G home internet a popular option for people who want to enjoy the freedom of a truly wireless connection. Lo mejor de todo es que ya está disponible en 50 millones de hogares de todo el país. T-Mobile is America's fastest growing 5G [Home Internet](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/plans) provider. See if it's [available in your area](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/eligibility) now and then [find a plan](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/plans) that's right for you. ##### Learn More About Wi-Fi - [What is Wi-Fi?](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal/internet-devices/what-is-wifi) - [Ready To Break Up With Your Internet Provider? How To Get Wi-Fi For Less](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal/isp/how-to-get-wi-fi-for-less) __Sources:__ - [https://bipartisanpolicy.org/blog/cellular-data-and-digital-divide/](https://bipartisanpolicy.org/blog/cellular-data-and-digital-divide/) - [https://www.netgear.com/hub/wifi/routers/5-reasons-you-should-consider-upgrading-to-a-wifi-6-router/](https://www.netgear.com/hub/wifi/routers/5-reasons-you-should-consider-upgrading-to-a-wifi-6-router/#:~:text=WiFi%206%20increases%20the%20number,communicate%20with%20your%20WiFi%20router) - [https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/press-releases/connectivity-and-mobile-trends.html](https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/press-releases/connectivity-and-mobile-trends.html) - [https://www2.deloitte.com/xe/en/insights/industry/technology/technology-media-and-telecom-predictions/2022/wifi6-vs-5g-essential-partners-in-the-next-generation.html](https://www2.deloitte.com/xe/en/insights/industry/technology/technology-media-and-telecom-predictions/2022/wifi6-vs-5g-essential-partners-in-the-next-generation.html) - [https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/faq](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/faq#:~:text=T%2DMobile%20Home%20Internet%20is,than%2050%20million%20households%20nationwide) Tags - [Compare](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal/archive/compare) - [Wi-Fi](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal/archive/wi-fi) ## Related Articles NEW [Read More](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal/internet-help/new-internet-or-transfer-internet-moving) [](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal/internet-help/new-internet-or-transfer-internet-moving) [Internet Help](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal/category/internet-help) ## [New Internet or Internet Transfer When Moving: What's Best?](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal/internet-help/new-internet-or-transfer-internet-moving) April 22, 2026 NEW [Read More](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal/speed/ethernet-vs-wifi) [](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal/speed/ethernet-vs-wifi) [Speed](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal/category/speed) ## [Ethernet vs. Wi-Fi: Which Connection is Best for You?](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal/speed/ethernet-vs-wifi) April 29, 2026 NEW [Read More](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal/internet-help/setting-up-internet-in-a-new-home-how-to-connect-while-moving) [](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal/internet-help/setting-up-internet-in-a-new-home-how-to-connect-while-moving) [Internet Help](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal/category/internet-help) ## [Setting Up Internet in a New Home: How to Connect While Moving](https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/the-signal/internet-help/setting-up-internet-in-a-new-home-how-to-connect-while-moving) April 15, 2026 ### Find out if your home address is eligible for T-Mobile 5G Home Internet. 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