Verizon Launches First 5G Markets

5G is here, or at least it is in parts of Sacramento.  Verizon today formally launched what it says is the first commercial 5G network today.

That being said, this isn’t yet about people buying 5G phones – those aren’t available yet.  Verizon’s initial 5G rollout is targeted at bandwidth to the home.  It’s built on 5G TF and it offers WiFi speeds of up to 300Mbps, offering a cord-cutting alternative for some $70/month. The effort is backed by recent buildouts of some 200+ small cells mounted on poles and street lamps around Sacramento.

That seems like a price point that might work if the network performance holds up.  It might even compete with Fios in some cases, though I don’t know if any current territories overlap just yet.  The initial roll-out is also hitting parts of Houston, Indianapolis, and Los Angeles.  I doubt it is a coincidence that Verizon sold its Fios networks in California and Texas to Frontier a few years ago.

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Categories: ILECs, PTTs · Wireless