Verizon’s 5G phone system is calling for reinforcements.
Roger Cheng and Eli Blumenthal at CNET report today that the top telecom company plans to unroll no less than 20 5G compatible devices this year.
Furthermore, reports show that many of these phones will be priced lower to attract a wider user base – specifically, under the $800 mark.
In a recent interview at CES 2020, Verizon CEO Ronan Dunne reportedly said the company will try to get that price $200 lower in the second half of the year.
This news is notable because the estimates coming from the company represent four times as many 5G devices as Verizon released in 2019.
Other reports show Verizon is also working on rolling out a 5G network home service in which early birds will get some free equipment upgrades.
At the same time, AT&T is quickly ramping up its own 5G network operations.
“At the forefront are 5G Evolution and Mobile 5G, mobile services offering different connection speeds,” reports Android Authority. “AT&T also promotes LTE-LAA connectivity for 1Gbps downloads along with an upcoming in-home fixed wireless service.”
With other carriers like T-Mobile getting on board too, 5G is heating up quickly.
However, there are still questions and concerns about some aspects of the rollout.
“Although these developments show the path for the 5G future in the U.S.—a private sector system primarily using domestic and legacy European technology—they do not erase some serious problems with the rapid construction of the new wireless networks,” writes Thomas Duesterberg at Forbes, “nor do they suggest an economically compelling alternative in the rest of the world to the increasingly sophistical and state-supported competitor, Huawei.”
We will continue to watch the 5G rollout as it happens – slowly.
