US telco giant, Verizon, has reportedly launched the word’s first commercial 5G network, after activating the service in four American cities this week.
The company’s 5G home router will deliver ~300Mbps across Houston, Los Angeles, Indianapolis and Sacramento, on packages from US$50/month [coupled with a phone plan].
To encourage the transition, Verizon is offering the ‘world’s first 5G customers’ a free Apple TV 4K or Google Chromecast Ultra.
Verizon technicians will install the router, and employ extenders if necessary for ‘whole home Wi-Fi’.
The news stems from a partnership between Verizon, Intel, LG, Samsung, Cisco, Qualcomm, Nokia and Ericsson in 2015.
The companies claim to have successfully delivered the service before the completion of the official 5G NR standard.
Verizon’s 5G service is a fixed wireless access solution, and will replace broadband cabling. The telco pledges to upgrade a users’ router for free, once the global standard hardware debuts.
‘First on 5G’ customers will reportedly receive preference for 5G-enabled smartphones.
The news represents a global milestone for 5G deployment, with Aussie consumers tipped to receive 5G services in the forthcoming year.
Further information is available on Verizon’s website here.
