Verizon’s 5G efforts continue with a host of new initiatives announced over the last month. The network has not only expanded its range of areas to introduce 5G internet but is also taking steps to make the service more commercial friendly. Verizon is also continuing signal strength and speed tests ahead of its official 5G deployment. Here’s the latest 5G news coming from Verizon.
New Verizon 5G City
Indianapolis, Indiana is the latest U.S. city that will power 5G speeds when Verizon begins deploying its residential broadband service in late 2018. Indianapolis joins Houston, Texas, and Sacramento and Los Angeles, California as the first cities to enable 5G fromVerizon.
Verizon 5G Perks
Verizon has also recently announced that its 5G residential broadband package will include perks such as the choice between an Apple TV 4K set-top box or a free YouTube TV subscription. Pundits have noted that Verizon has likely included these incentives to sway customers that may be hesitant to switch or upgrade their internet services on the promise of faster speeds alone. The push could be a plus for Apple as well, as the company has struggled to get traction for its pricey media tuner. Google also stands to benefit from the collaboration, as it works to spread the word about its new streaming service. YouTube TV offers a host of channels, including ABC, CNN, Disney FX and National Geographic. There is no word if or how the YouTube TV offer will compete with Verizon’s own wired cable service. The abovementioned test cities will be the first to have access to the Apple TV 4K and YouTube TV offers.
Verizon’s latest 5G Tests
As Verizon prepares to deploy 5G, its latest tests have successfully transmitted 5G signals to a moving vehicle. The test involved the transmission of a 3GPP New Radio (NR) 5G signal to a receiver attached to a moving vehicle. The successful test is the first of its kind and is important due to the implications that 5G will allow signals to easily transmit through any barrier and not affect data speeds. Being able to transmit 5G signals to moving targets similarly ensures that activities, such as commuting, won’t be hindered by slow internet speeds. Such technology has become even more relevant as companies continue to roll out smart interfaces for vehicles, such as CarPlay and Android Auto.
