Hans Vestberg, Chief Technology Officer of Verizon, asserted that his company’s network will be the first to launch 5G service in the United States.
Vestberg made the statement while participating in a panel discussion about 5G at CES. When asked whether there was a race among major carriers to be first, he expressed confidence that Verizon would lead the way regardless of competition.
“It’s a great opportunity as 5G arrives in the market, and we have already announced that later this year we will have the first lights on 5G,” Vestberg said.
As carriers prepare their rollouts, several operators have been promoting their plans and claiming either the first or the best 5G service.
Just last week, Telecoms reported comments from T-Mobile CEO John Legere.
In his characteristic style, Legere vowed that T‑Mobile would outpace what he labeled its “dumb and dumber” rivals — a likely reference to AT&T and Verizon — when it comes to 5G.
“While Dumb and Dumber focus on 5G hotspots that won’t work when you leave your home, we will be the only ones on the fast-track toward a real, mobile nationwide 5G network in 2020 — and have already started deploying 5G-ready equipment,” Legere said. “This is such a BFD [Big Freakin’ Deal] — we’re leapfrogging the duopoly like they’re standing still.”
The comments reflect differing strategies: some carriers emphasize early limited deployments or fixed wireless hotspots, while others promise broader mobile coverage and nationwide ambitions.
Industry observers note that the first consumer-facing 5G services may be limited in scope and availability, often starting in select cities or as fixed wireless offerings before expanding into truly nationwide, mobile networks. Spectrum holdings, infrastructure investments, regulatory approvals, and agreements with device makers will all influence which carrier manages the earliest broad launches.
For consumers, the timeline and quality of 5G service will depend on concrete deployment plans, device availability, and real-world performance once networks go live. Early marketing claims should be weighed against technical demonstrations, trial deployments, and carrier transparency about coverage and capabilities.
Which carrier do you think will be first to launch 5G in the US? Share your view in the comments.