Mike Mozart, Flickr –Verizon Wireless Store

 

Verizon Communications stepped out this week and announced the company will be rolling out 5G wireless trials in as many as 5 major US markets sometime in 2018. The quick take-away here is that this is actually residential internet broadband connectivity, rather than cellular wireless for smartphones. Verizon estimates the market opportunity for residential broadband to be some 30 million subscriber homes nationwide. 5G residential broadband may require small antennas mounted on homes but promises gigabit speeds and throughput to homes, businesses and service providers in residential and metropolitan areas. And it’s all done without wires.

Verizon has been developing and acquiring the technology on the 28GHz millimeter wave spectrum and it requires a larger number of cell sites for proper coverage, with as many as one per half-mile in dense urban areas, where line of site runs will be fewer with building obstructions. The upshot is copious amounts of bandwidth and capacity for many more subscribers and a wider array of services. In short, it means gigabit connectivity to the home or office, over the air, with no need to run fiber or copper for the last mile.

“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 goes on to note that the 5G launch will not have material impact on the company’s capital expenditures in 2018, so it’s clear this is just a pilot effort in key markets where the it can benefit from extended testing and preliminary deployment. The first commercial launch was disclosed as targeted for Sacramento California, some time in the second half of 2018.

Sacramento, you lucky guinea pigs, enjoy that glorious bandwidth. It will be interesting to see what pricing plans look like as well.

 

by Dave Altavilla 

 

Source:  Forbes, November 2017