Verizon To Launch 5G Coverage Tests In 11 Cities This Year

Verizon is the latest telecom company to start rolling out 5G testing. The company announced Wednesday it plans to launch limited 5G coverage in 11 cities by mid-2017.

The 11 cities that will be receiving 5G coverage are Ann Arbor, Mich., Atlanta, Bernardsville, N.J., Brockton, Mass., Dallas, Denver, Houston, Miami, Sacramento, Calif., Seattle and Washington, D.C. At the moment, Verizon expects to have a limited rollout for the service, as it’s described a “pre-commercial” launch that will only be available to select customers.

As CNET notes, the tech for Verizon’s rollout isn’t expected to be mobile-focused. Instead, it is intended to replace physical wired connections for internet and allow home or corporate users to wirelessly connect to 5G networks for faster upload and download speeds. While 5G is still in the early stages of development, wireless carriers are banking heavily on the tech. With 5G, users can expect to see faster download and upload speeds that are comparable to current fiber-based gigabit networks.

Verizon is also one of several companies working on their 5G networks. In December, AT&T announced it would start 5G testing in Austin, Texas. Residential users in Austin could also use AT&T’s 5G network to stream content from AT&T’s DirecTV Now service. As with early 4G and LTE coverage, 5G looks to follow the typical slow-paced development cycle for new cellular tech. But for Verizon and AT&T, this early testing looks to lay the eventual groundwork for consumer-level 5G offerings.