Verizon has turned on 5G mmWave connectivity in new cities, including Harrisburg, PA; Athens, GA; Orlando FL; and Fremont, CA. These new additions bolster Verizon’s roster of cities with access to its Ultra Wideband network, now totaling 82 cities. In addition, Verizon also announced that its fixed 5G Home service is now available in previously mentioned Orlando and Fremont, as well as Pensacola and Sarasota, FL, and Niagara Falls, NY.
Verizon CTO, Kyle Malady said in a statement, “Our continued investment in 5G Ultra Wideband means that more people than ever can experience unmatched speed on phones and a home broadband alternative that is transforming the market,” he continued, “We will continue our aggressive push into even more places.”
Verizon touted a superior wireless experience for those who are lucky enough to be in cities with 5G Ultra Wideband service. Customers will be able to stream and download movies and shows within seconds and gamers will see an infinitely better experience as well. Average download speeds are 300 Mbps, upload speeds average 50 Mbps with max download speeds up to 1 Gbps.
Verizon’s mmWave network connectivity is growing, but limited. The company gets its 5G coverage claims through the use of dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) by using low band spectrum. mmWave spectrum produces an incredibly fast connection, but cannot travel far; whereas a low band connection can travel long distances but doesn’t produce as fast as a connection, though still faster than 4G. DSS produces speeds more along the lines of 4G so it may not be worth rushing out to get on to just yet.
Verizon is looking to acquire the 3.7 mid-band spectrum and at the last auction, Verizon spent $45 billion (yes with a ‘b’) on spectrum in the C-band auction, putting it in a better position to compete with T-Mobile’s 2.5 GHz deployment.
Spectrum real estate is important to all, but for Verizon, launching C-band spectrum would mean the company could expand its 5G Home services too. Currently, the 5G Home markets use mmWave spectrum.
Verizon announced last month that Austin, TX, and Gresham, OR both now had 5G Ultra Wideband service and that 5G home services had launched in Albuquerque NM, Little Rock AR, and Nashville, TN.
Source: Fierce Wireless