Verizon's 5G Home Broadband is launched in October and starts at $ 50

5G is about to cross the threshold between hype and reality. It's time

Verizon said Tuesday that the installation of its 5G home broadband service, Verizon 5G Home, will begin Oct. 1, with the service started once the installation is complete. Customers in Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles and Sacramento, California, can start ordering the service, which costs $ 50 for Verizon Wireless customers and $ 70 for non-Verizon Wireless customers.

Not everyone in these cities will be able to access the service, which, unlike 4G, is for the moment limited to home Internet service. To find out if you qualify and to register, visit Firston5G.com and enter your address. (The site is commissioned Thursday at 5 pm Pacific Time / 8 am Eastern Time). Consumers in other countries can sign up to receive updates on future Verizon deployment plans.

This launch marks a milestone in the development of 5G and gives Verizon the right to boast of being the first operator in the world to embrace next generation wireless technology. Kind of. The company was able to evolve so quickly because its launch at the beginning of the 5G uses a non-standard technology, so critics point out that it is not technically 5G despite its ability to provide high speeds. The company plans to expand into new markets as it moves to the 5G standard. Early customers will benefit from free upgrades to ensure they also meet industry standards. (Read about all the nuances of 5G right here.)

As a result, the wireless race of this generation is a bit more complicated, and Verizon's leadership features an asterisk. While Verizon is the leading provider of broadband replacement services for 5G, it is limited to a few cities and a fixed home service. AT & T still plans to be the first to offer 5G as real mobile service from here the end of the yearalthough it is not clear how widespread this deployment will be. T Mobile promises to have a wider commercial service available early next year, and Sprint and LG promise the first 5G smartphone. Again, it's unclear what their coverage will look like at launch.

Verizon was the first in the United States to deploy a large 4G LTE network, which helped to consolidate its reputation for network quality over the next few years. The 5G promises to significantly increase speed over 4G and is considered a core technology for other areas such as autonomous cars and virtual and augmented reality streaming.

Verizon promises broadband speeds ranging from 300 megabits per second to 1 gigabit per second, or fast enough to download a Blu-ray movie in minutes. Carriers aim for maximum speeds on the mobile side to far exceed the 1 Gbps mark.

Verizon rolls out the red carpet for the first takers. His client "First on 5G" will receive a free installation, as well as three months of free service. Customers will also receive Chromecast or Apple TV 4K for free, as well as three months of free YouTube TV. They will also have priority in the purchase of the first 5G mobile device. You do not have to be in the launch markets to be a "First on 5G" member.

"We are going to deliver a revolutionary 5G experience that will change the way people live, work and play," said Kyle Malady, Verizon's technical director, in a statement.

Verizon provided little details about the installation process, as the company noted that there will be both internal and external equipment, depending on the construction of your home and the management of the cell tower.

The company has spent the last few years testing the 5G service, although it has often missed its own deadlines. (It initially wanted to commercially deploy 5G in 2017.)

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