Verizon Plans to Offer 5G Residential Broadband Next Year
Toggle Dark Mode
Verizon is poised to launch 5G residential broadband services in three to five US markets next year, the wireless carrier announced in a press release. The first commercial 5G rollout is due to take place in Sacramento, California sometime during the second half of 2018.
“Verizon estimates the market opportunity for initial 5G residential broadband services to be approximately 30 million households nationwide,” the company said.
Verizon has been conducting trials of its 5G residential offering with a sample of non-paying customers in 11 cities across the US, with promising results. Users reportedly achieved download speeds of around 1Gbps as far away as 2,000 feet from the base station, exceeding the expectations of industry observers. Latency on internet service has also been reduced to 10 milliseconds, down from the 50 milliseconds commonly seen on 4G networks. Verizon plans to use radio signals on the 28 GHz band, rather than copper or fiber cables, to deliver fifth-generation wireless services to customers.
If these results hold, users will be able to enjoy unprecedented wireless internet speeds, paving the way for commercial use of 3D and VR products and the internet of things.
“This is a landmark announcement for customers and investors who have been waiting for the 5G future to become a reality,” said Hans Vestberg, Verizon president of Global Networks and Chief Technology Officer. “We appreciate our strong ecosystem partners for their passion and technological support in helping us drive forward with 5G industry standards, for both fixed and mobile applications. The targeted initial launches we are announcing today will provide a strong framework for accelerating 5G’s future deployment on the global standards.”
Verizon also has plans in place to test mobile 5G services in 2018, in partnership with telecom equipment manufacturer Ericsson and chipmaker Intel, along with Samsung, Intel, LG, Nokia, and Qualcomm.
Learn More: iPhone Rumored to Receive LTE Upgrade Next Year, 5G By 2020
