Samsung, Verizon Rolling Out 5G Service In Sacramento, California This 2018

Following the announcement that Samsung and Verizon have teamed up to commercially launch 5G service to customers in the U.S., there is now information on the initial rollout of the service that would take place later this year.

Samsung Electronics America and Verizon are preparing to launch their 5G service in Sacramento, California later this 2018. There’s no official word on the specific period yet, but the service is expected to roll out to four other U.S. cities before this year ends.

According to CNET, Verizon has teamed up with Samsung in order for it to bring its 5G fixed wireless service to American homes very soon. Verizon will use Samsung home routers and “5G Radio Access Units” in rolling its its 5G wireless service to the cities that will be part of the initial rollout.

“Together with Verizon, we have explored the vast potential of 5G through market trials across the U.S. At the same time, Samsung applied lessons learned from these real-world trials to ensure that our complete end-to-end 5G portfolio is ready for commercial service,” Samsung America Senior VP Mark Louison said of the partnership between the two companies.

Verizon first announced its plans of commercially launching a 5G service in Sacramento, California in 2018 back in November of last year. With the new update, it’s clear that the two companies are determined to keep their word.

It’s worth mentioning that prior to tapping Samsung, Verizon previously said that it will be using Ericsson’s 5G network core, 5G Radio Access Network and other related services for its fixed 5G service. However, something happened along the way and Verizon made an official statement about its collaboration with Samsung at the start of this year.

“The industry has been discussing 5G connectivity for years, and through our joint collaboration with partners like Samsung, we are beginning to make it a reality for our customers,” Verizon Chief Technology Architect Ed Chan was quoted as saying by Wireless Week.

Samsung has since revealed that it actually started 5G customer trials with Verizon across seven U.S. cities in early 2017. The Galaxy Note 8 maker also disclosed the successful trials were conducted in California, Georgia, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Michigan, Texas and Washington D.C. It’s very likely that the other four cities that will have access to Verizon’s 5G service after Sacramento, California would come from these states.

Meanwhile, AT&T is also gearing up for the launch of its 5G network in multiple U.S. markets this 2018. The telecommunications company said last week that it intends to launch its ultra-fast service to 12 U.S. cities before 2018 ends. However, the company has yet to reveal the cities that will be the the first ones to enjoy its true 5G network.

“5G will change the way we live, work and enjoy entertainment,” AT&T Technology and Operations President Melissa Arnoldi said. “We're moving quickly to begin deploying mobile 5G this year and start unlocking the future of connectivity for consumers and businesses. With faster speeds and ultra-low latency, 5G will ultimately deliver and enhance experiences like virtual reality, future driverless cars, immersive 4K video and more.”