Verizon's CEO thinks that half of the US will have access to 5G next year

In an interview with CNBC, Hans Vestberg, CEO of Verizon, said in an interview with CNBC that half of the US will have access to next generation 5G networks next year. However, he also predicted that it will not be until 2024 that half of the population will have devices capable of connecting to this network.

This is a big prediction from Vestberg, not least because Verizon relies on high speed, but relatively short-lived mmWave technology, so its 5G network is currently only available in very specific locations, in the cities where it was launched. In order for its network to be available in half of the United States, Verizon is expected to significantly increase its availability in cities where it is already launched and to fully launch into new cities.

At today's results conference, Vestberg defended this approach on mmWave, claiming that Verizon's goal was to offer a "transformative experience" by offering the types of high speeds that only mmWave is capable of. However, he said he expects the launch of DSS next year to help expand the company's 5G coverage. DSS is a technology that allows operators to share spectrum between 4G and 5G users, which means that one and the same spectrum segment can serve both types of devices. Verizon could then offer a much wider range of coverage to its emerging 5G users, without fear of cutting off access from its much larger number of 4G customers.

Getting 5G devices into the hands of half of the population by 2024 will require providing a much wider range of devices. Verizon currently only sells three 5G devices: the LG V50 ThinQ 5G, the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G and the Motorola Moto Z4 when used with the 5G Moto Mod accessory. Other manufacturers are expected to launch 5G devices in the coming years. Apple, for example, is expected to produce three 5G iPhones in 2020.

The CEO's prediction comes one day after Verizon extended its 5G network to four other US cities, bringing the total number of US cities with access to its next-generation network to nine. The company hopes that 5G will be available in more than 30 cities by the end of the year. In conjunction with yesterday's announcement, the company has detailed a list of very specific locations in cities where people can connect to 5G.