Verizon Communications has announced that it will launch wireless residential broadband services based on 5G in three to five years for the U.S. market. As a first application of fifth-generation or 5G-wireless, these services will use radio signals, rather than copper or fiber cables, to provide customers with unprecedented wireless speeds for Internet access.
As 5G continues to evolve, customers will benefit from a wide array of services, including broadband, mobile and IoT (Internet of things) , and the necessary bandwidth, low latency for 3D and virtual reality applications.
Verizon's first commercial launch is planned to be in Sacramento, Calif., in the second half of 2018. Details of that launch, and the announcement of additional markets, will be provided at a later date. They have successfully trialed 5G residential applications in 11 markets in 2017. The commercial launch is based on customer experience and on Verizon's confidence in the new technology powered by millimeter-wave spectrum. It estimates the market opportunity for initial 5G residential broadband services to be approximately 30 million households nationwide. The 5G commercial launch will not have a material impact on Verizon's consolidated capital expenditures in 2018. The company expects its full-year 2018 capital spending program to be consistent with the past several years.
