Verizon has stated that it will continue to pursue fixed broadband 5G within the next few years. By pursuing fixed broadband 5G, the company should be able to deploy a service that can provide an alternative to those offered by the cable companies. Verizon’s CEO Lowell McAdam claims that the company is very excited about the recent developments related to fixed broadband 5G, which is currently bring tested in 11 locations around the country. Verizon sees numerous advantages by pursuing fixed wireless 5G over a more mobile-focused network that was recently announced by its rival T-Mobile. According to Verizon, rolling out 5G as fixed broadband allows the carrier to deploy a 5G-capable network without waiting for standards set for mobile phones. The carrier also does not have to wait for smartphone manufacturers to include 5G modems in their products in order for its subscribers to benefit from 5G networks. From the business perspective, fixed broadband 5G will allow Verizon to deploy a faster and more practical alternative internet service, since deploying fiber connections to every home can become very expensive, and thus unfeasible for the carrier.
In an effort to prepare its network for the roll-out of 5G technologies, the carrier has purchased 28GHz and 39GHz frequency assets. Verizon obtained its 28GHz frequency assets from its acquisition of XO fiber, while its 39GHz assets came from its purchase of StraightPath. Recent technologies like massive MIMO and improved signal processing have also allowed carriers around the world to achieve high data speeds in highband frequencies at a substantially wider range. These new technologies also allowed 5G networks to diminish to a certain extent the impact of interference from trees and other structures that interfere with the base station’s line-of-sight. For example, the carrier in its tests was able to achieve 1.4Gbps data speeds from a distance of 2,000 feet outside the line-of-sight of the base station.
The carrier has long been preparing for the rollout and commercialization of 5G, with the carrier conducting numerous tests with equipment vendors. Recently, Verizon announced it was able to successfully integrate networks equipped with hardware from two different vendors, namely Samsung and Cisco. It has also been running trials in numerous locations across the country, including in the 101st running of the Indy 500 this month.