Verizon will begin testing its 5G network in 2016
Data speeds could be 50 times faster than today’s averages
Barely six years after launching its 4G LTE network, Verizon plans to start field-testing its next-generation high speed data service. Dubbed, for lack of a better term, 5G, it could deliver speeds of 30-50 times faster than what you’ll find today.
To put things into perspective, a movie download from Google Play might take around six minutes on a good connection today. On 5G, however, it could be delivered in a matter of seconds.
“We feel a tremendous sense of urgency to push forward on 5G and mobilize the ecosystem by collaborating with industry leaders and developers to usher in a new generation of innovation.“
This is not to suggest that 5G will only be used for movies, music, and TV; the medical field could benefit from a more real-time interaction for relay surgeries. Also, consider how much more efficient it would be to connect and interact with your smart devices. Tapping a button on your phone to turn off lights at home should be instantaneous, right?
Verizon is currently sandbox testing the new network in at least two locations: Waltham, Massachusetts, and San Francisco. Looking ahead to 2016, Big Red plans to expand things with help from partners such as Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco, Ericsson, Nokia, Qualcomm and Samsung.
Up until now, the general consensus was that 5G networks might still be another five years away, perhaps even longer. Should Verizon pull this off quickly it could put pressure on the other carriers. Nobody wants to be using yesterday’s technology.
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