Verizon has officially launched its 5G Ultra Wideband (UWB) network expansion, extending coverage into parts of approximately 1,700 cities.
The carrier marked the milestone after activating its C-band deployment, which uses mid-band spectrum purchased for $52.9 billion in the FCC auction held in March 2021.
Hans Vestberg, Verizon’s Chairman and CEO, commented:
“This massive launch will put incredible speeds, reliability and security in the hands of our customers and amplifies our offering of reliable home and business broadband options to more places around the country, well ahead of the commitment we made last year.”
“As 5G Ultra Wideband becomes available to more people and businesses, it will enable customers to do more innovative things.”
Before this week, Verizon’s UWB service relied primarily on mmWave spectrum, which delivers extremely fast speeds but over limited outdoor areas. The addition of C-band mid-band spectrum should deliver multi-hundred-megabit to near-gigabit download speeds in many more locations, with Verizon suggesting customers could see downloads up to around 1 Gbps where coverage is available.
Early reports from users show significant speed improvements:
C-Band Speedtest // Menlo Park, CA – 908Mbps DL & 105Mbps UL
C-Band Live in Reseda, CA (Valley of Los Angeles)
“This is one of those historic days when you think about how quickly we’ve done it,” Vestberg said. “Now we have a network that offers low latency, edge computing (MEC), and capabilities that enable immersive experiences such as the metaverse.”
Executives stress that the recent launch is the beginning of a broader rollout.
“In many ways, the team has run a marathon to get us to the starting line,” said Verizon’s Chief Technology Officer, Kyle Malady.
Verizon positions 5G as a true alternative to traditional home broadband through its Verizon 5G Home service, which the company is actively expanding.
“We’ve already demonstrated success with Fios broadband in the Northeast, and now we will give millions more consumers and businesses across the country a real choice in how they receive their internet,” Vestberg added.
In December, Verizon 5G Home was available in about 65 cities; the company has since expanded that presence roughly tenfold to around 900 cities.
According to Verizon, more than 20 million households now have access to its 5G home broadband offering across those cities, and over 2 million businesses are covered by Verizon 5G Business Internet.
Vestberg emphasized that the next phase is educating customers about the new capabilities and use cases unlocked by Verizon’s expanded 5G network.
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