Short answerChoose 4G when you need reliable coverage at modest speeds and a lower price: telemetry, CCTV viewing, payments, backup and most rural sites. Choose 5G when you need high speeds or plan to replace broadband, and 5G is strong at the site. For long-life IoT kit, look at 5G RedCap.
5G gets the headlines, but most connected equipment in the UK still runs on 4G and will for years. 5G is also built on top of 4G in many places, so a strong 4G network is not going anywhere.
When 4G is the right choice
- Low and medium data: meters, alarms, payments, building controls and most telemetry use a tiny fraction of 4G’s capacity.
- Coverage first: 4G reaches further than most 5G, especially indoors and in rural areas.
- Price and power: 4G routers and modules cost less and usually draw less power.
- Backup: for failover that sits idle most of the time, a 4G router is often all you need.
When 5G is worth it
- Replacing fixed broadband for an office or home with many users.
- Several high-resolution camera streams at once.
- Events, broadcast and anything with large uploads.
- Sites where 5G is strong now and the kit will be in place for years.
Router Store covers this side in its 5G router buying guide, and 5gsim.com explains UK 5G networks and SIMs.
Where RedCap fits
5G RedCap (reduced capability) is a slimmed-down 5G for devices that do not need top speeds. It aims at the same jobs as 4G Cat 4 and Cat 1 routers, with a longer future ahead of it as networks evolve. Router Store has a short explainer on 5G RedCap and n28. For a device going in today with a five-year life, 4G is still a safe choice. For a ten-year deployment, it is worth comparing.
A 5G router on a 4G SIM
A 5G router works perfectly well on 4G and moves up to 5G where available. Some plans need 5G turned on before the router will use it, so check with the supplier.
Frequently asked questions
Will 4G be switched off?
Not for many years. 4G is the UK’s main mobile data layer and supports much of 5G. The closures under way are 3G (done) and 2G (by 2033).
Is a 5G router always faster?
Only where 5G is strong. In a weak 5G area, a good 4G connection with an external antenna can outperform it.
Do I need a 5G SIM for a 5G router?
You need a plan with 5G enabled. Most current SIMs support 5G; the plan decides whether you can use it.
NANick Appleby
Nick Appleby has worked in UK telecoms since 1998, starting at BT, and has spent most of that time on cellular routers, data SIMs and the antennas that connect them for business and industrial sites. He writes 4G SIM to explain how the networks and the kit actually behave, in plain English.