5G becomes real as Verizon launches FWA offering in four cities

It might not have been the blockbuster moment the industry has been building towards, but the dawn has broken on the 5G era.

Just to put that statement into perspective, this is a small launch, a handful of pockets in four US cities, and only available as a wireless broadband offering for the home right now. If you happen to be one of the few Americans living in the right area and fancy cutting the cord on your broadband connectivity, Verizon is up your street promising ‘typical speeds’ of 300 Mbps, and peaks of 940 Mbps. Houston, Indianapolis, and Los Angeles will be receiving the 5G treatment, with Sacramento gaining special attention.

“We were able to make Sacramento one of our first 5G cities because Mayor Darrell Steinberg and city leaders embraced innovation and developed a strategic vision for how 5G could be a platform for the larger Sacramento technology ecosystem,” said Jonathan LeCompte, Pacific Market President for Verizon. “We believe this vision will pay off big for the city, attracting new investment, businesses and next generation services for residents.”

Sacramento has seemingly been the most proactive of partners for Verizon, with the city hoping 5G can spur investment and growth in a variety of different industries, autonomous vehicles for instance, with the city recently announcing a partnership with Phantom Auto to prepare infrastructure to support teleoperation safety technology for driverless vehicles. Over the last 12 months, Verizon has installed small cells on more than 200 utilities poles and street lights.

“This is a significant day in Sacramento,” said Mayor Darrell Steinberg. “When cities like ours partner with innovative businesses, investment follows. Not only has Verizon invested heavily to bring the latest network technology to our city, but they are partnering with us to focus investments on equity and economic opportunity for all neighbourhoods.”

While it is only available in a very, very small number of locations, it is a promising start. Those who signed up to be the first to receive the surface will be rewarded with a three-month free trial period before paying $70 a month (or $50 a month for existing Verizon customers) and the promise of no data caps. These customers will also receive a free Apple TV 4K or Google Chromecast Ultra device at installation.

Irrelevant to the size of the launch, Verizon now has the bragging rights of being the first in the US to deliver 5G to customers. Competitors will argue this is not the promised 5G experience, and no-one will be able to deliver the 5G bonanza until compatible mobile devices hit the market next year, but that is beside the point. Verizon can now run as many in-your-face adverts as it wants, boasting about beating all the other telcos in the world in delivering 5G to the consumer. It’s a nuance, but it is not incorrect.