Is Verizon 5G Home Broadband Real 5G? The company defends early deployment

Installation for Verizon's 5G Home Broadband Service started on Monday, but it is unlikely that you will be able to experience it until 2019.

That's because Verizon jumped a few steps before declaring that it was the first carrier to 5G.

Immediately after the company announced last month that its service ($ 50 for Verizon Wireless customers, $ 70 for all others) was coming, critics flocked. The service of the company does not correspond to the standards of 5G. Because of this, the commercial rollout this year – in the Los Angeles, Sacramento, Dallas and Indianapolis neighborhoods – would be extremely limited.

Ed Chan, Verizon's chief architect, said the company plans to increase the availability of home broadband service next year, as it will be able to adopt standard industry technology. For the moment, commercial deployment will remain limited.

"We did not want to drive in too big areas," Chan said in an interview on Monday.

The limited deployment of 5G is stark contrast to the launch of 4G in 2008when 70% of the 38 markets for which the service was provided were able to adapt to the next generation network. The fact that Verizon has declared its victory in the 5G race highlights the growing hype and growing interest in new generation technology.

5G, after all, is supposed to change our world with significantly higher speeds and responsiveness. It is supposed to connect everything around us and propel new technologies such as autonomous cars and the streaming of virtual and augmented reality. Theoretically, its maximum speeds will allow you to download several movies in a few seconds.

Chan defends Verizon against claims that its technology is not a true 5G, noting that its proprietary standard 5G TF (Technical Forum) was needed to advance the industry in the development of technology. The company's work has helped start the ecosystem and get 5G users thinking faster than expected.

"If we had not taken this step, we would still consider 2020 in terms of 5G mobility," Chan said.

Now, AT & T has stated that it has launches its 5G mobile service this year, with larger deployments by T-Mobile and Sprint in 2019.

But Verizon's decision to use 5G TF limited its deployment this year. Chan said the company would offer its 5G domestic broadband service to more people starting in 2019, once it will switch to the use of 5G NR, the global standard for technology.

The decision, however, left Verizon open to criticism from T-Mobile's CEO, John Legere, who launched the launch in a tweetstorm today.

"Verizon says" there is 5G and then there is Verizon 5G "- What they mean, is that Verizon 5G * is available … in small neighborhoods … if you do not have trees nearby … … or walls … ", tweeted Legere.

Chan denied that Verizon's move was a marketing move.

"It's a real launch for us," he said. "We are not doing this as a test."

He argued that Verizon would not have been able to replicate the wider launch of 4G LTE as the chipsets for 5G smartphones were not ready yet.

Similarly, he stated that the work done by Verizon during the tests over the past year has given the company a lot of interest in using the millimeter wave spectrum or very high frequency waves capable of provide tons of data. high speeds. Carriers do not use this type of spectrum now because of interference and scope issues, but Mr. Chan said that Verizon has learned a lot about the bouncing and the orientation of these signals for strengthen coverage in overcrowded urban areas.

Verizon plans to launch its 5G mobile service early next year, but Chan refused to provide many details about its products.

"You'll be surprised by the devices," Chan teased.

The smartest things: innovators imagine new ways to make you smarter, and the things around you.

Tech Enabled: CNET describes the role of technology in providing new types of accessibility.