Verizon is gearing up for its commercial 5G launch and has selected Ericsson to provide the networking kit. The mobile operator is set to install the pre-standard 5G commercial radio network and the 5G Core network in the second half of next year.
During the past year, the two companies have conducted fixed-wireless 5G trials in variety of environments. They have been using mmWave spectrum in areas with different geographies and housing densities to ascertain there were any issues in rolling out a fixed wireless broadband network.
Verizon had already announced its intention of speeding up the introduction of 5G across US cities. In October, it announced a partnership with Qualcomm and Novatel Wireless to trial 5G New Radio.
Mobile broadband elements
The Verizon and Ericsson have been designed to gain better understanding of the mmWave propagation used in the Verizon 5GTF and the coming 3GPP 5G NR standard. These new technologies are expected to be vital for handling mobile broadband elements such as streaming high-definition video, immersive virtual/augmented reality, and connected cloud computing.
Ed Chan, SVP Technology Strategy and Planning for Corporate Networking and Technology, Verizon says: “5G will change the way we work, interact, learn and play. Through our work with Ericsson, we are creating a clear roadmap and building a robust ecosystem that will enable us to maximize the potential of 5G.” While Ericsson’s Fredrik Jejdling said: “It further illustrates how our global 5G portfolio, designed to support 5G NR as standardized in 3GPP, enables first movers in the early commercialization of 5G networks.”
