<b>Measuring 4G/5G Network Performance Potentials Missed in the Wild</b>

<p dir="ltr">Cellular networks have advanced rapidly from 4G LTE to 5G, promising higher speeds, lower latency, and more reliable connectivity. While operators have invested heavily in expanding raw system capacity and deploying advanced radio access technologies, it is equally important to ensure that upgraded capacity is effectively utilized. We find that mobile devices may fail to get the best achievable data rates under the same network conditions. We refer to this issue as missed performance potentials. To systematically study missed performance potentials, we conduct a large-scale longitudinal measurement analysis across multiple cities over multiple years.</p><p dir="ltr">First, we present the first large-scale study of missed performance potentials in 4.5G LTE-Advanced networks. We found that problematic cell selection logic leads to a noticeable gap between actual and best-achievable performance.</p><p dir="ltr">Second, we extend our analysis to 5G deployments. We find significant performance variance and it root causes, exposing new challenges in achieving consistent performance.</p><p dir="ltr">Third, we explore missed 5G performance potentials in the aerial domain as UAV applications become more prevalent. Although aerial user equipment often sees higher average throughput, it also suffers much higher missed performance potentials due to poor cell selection and the lack of aerial-aware network configurations.</p><p dir="ltr">Fourth, we identify and characterize a special case of performance potentials missed in 5G networks. We further examine this phenomenon to understand its impact and root causes.</p>