Verizon Communications will launch ‘Verizon 5G Home’, which it claims is the world’s first commercial 5G broadband internet service, on 1 October. The service – which is built on the telco’s ‘Ultra Wideband 5G’ network – will initially be available in parts of Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles and Sacramento, and is available for pre-order from 13 September. It is understood that the network leverages the operator’s significant millimetre wave (mmWave) spectrum holdings in the 28GHz and 39GHz bands.
Meanwhile, in mobile-centric news, Verizon Wireless has teamed up with Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies to complete what it claims is the first end-to-end call with a smartphone form factor test device on a commercial 3GPP 5G New Radio (NR) network in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Verizon expects to stage a commercial 5G mobile launch in 2019.