Verizon to launch 5G trial in 11 US cities
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Verizon to launch 5G trial in 11 US cities

Verizon has announced plans to launch 5G services in 11 markets across the US in 2017 in an expansion of its network trials.

The US operator will begin offering 5G to customers in Ann Arbor, Atlanta, Bernardsville, Brockton, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Miami, Sacramento, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. during the first half of 2017.

Its 5G build will include several hundred cell sites covering thousands of customer locations, as part of Verizon’s involvement with the 5G Technology Forum 5GTF). It will test gigabit broadband services for selected homes and offices, using a 5G connection.

The 5GTF include the likes of Ericsson, who Verizon partnered with for the 5G customer trials.

Ericson head of region North America Rima Qureshi said: “"Ericsson's partnership with Verizon in rolling out 5G customer trials is accelerating the global 5G ecosystem.

"These end-to-end solutions are a key step for preparing Verizon's network for commercial deployment with different 5G scenarios and use cases."

The tests will involve pre-standardised technology, but Verizon said it plans to “set the pace” for the technical developments around 5G connectivity, and the ecosystem that will emerge with it.

"5G technology innovation is rapidly evolving," said Verizon VP of network planning Adam Koeppe. "Network density is increasing to meet the demands of customers, and following the FCC's aggressive action on 5G spectrum, the time is right to deliver the next generation of broadband services with 5G."

Verizon is not the only US company expecting to launch 5G this year, as AT&T has already launched tests using 5G as a replacement for fixed broadband. AT&T has also announced further trials which it will deploy later this year.

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