Thank you to Verizon Wireless for sponsoring this post.
I’m just about the furthest thing from a techie, but I can appreciate groundbreaking new technology when I see it. Enter the 5G Home network. Verizon 5G is the 5th generation of wireless technology, which, in layman’s terms, means quicker downloads, improved network reliability, and an incalculable impact on how we live, work, and play. Why is this such a big deal to me personally? I’m a self-employed blogger with a home office who lives 1,200 miles from friends and family. The idea of hyper-connected smart communities is super exciting, not only for network speeds and low latencies but for future innovation that can help improve the overall functionality of our cities. It’s super cool– and it’s likely headed your way very soon!
Before jumping into logistics, I know technical jargon can get overwhelmingly complicated. As a non-techie myself, I did some research and am (hopefully) answering some FAQs in today’s post!
Why is 5G such a big deal?
The short answer is that each new wireless generation makes new things possible. 1G enabled wireless calling on the very first analog cell phones. 2G introduced the world to texting and voicemail. 3G’s higher data transfer rates enabled mobile web browsing, image sharing, and GPS. 4G delivered even deeper web functionality to our smartphones. Verizon 5G is a whole new ball game. In addition to faster downloads and improved network reliability, the connectivity benefits of 5G will make businesses more efficient and give consumers access to more information faster than ever. Oh, and self-driving cars, virtual reality applications, and cloud-connected traffic control? Those will run on a 5G network, too.
How fast will 5G be?
Probably the easiest way to quantify the difference between 4G and 5G is download speeds. 5G will deliver speeds roughly 20 times faster than what is possible with 4G. According to this article, latency could drop into the single milliseconds over Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network, making lag times nearly impossible to detect. Sounds pretty nice, huh?
When and where will the 5G Home network be available?
Verizon turned on 5G Home, the world’s first 5G network, on October 1, 2018. Unfortunately, the Verizon 5G Home network is currently only available in Houston, LA, Sacramento, and Indianapolis, although these 20 new cities will get 5G Ultra Wideband network by the end of this year. In the meantime, you can click here to check and see if your home is 5G-ready. If it is, you can test out Verizon’s 5G Home network for free for 3 months with no annual contracts, hidden taxes, or fees. You don’t even need to cancel your current service during your 3-month trial. Plus, you’ll get 3 months of free YouTube TV, a free streaming device, and free Verizon 5G Home upgrades. Sign me up!
Why Verizon?
If your home is 5G-ready, you can test out Verizon’s 5G Home network for free for 3 months without cancelling your current service, which means you’ll have every opportunity to compare networks. That’s one of the things I like most about Verizon– they realize that every day people need a clear, consistent, and simple understanding of 5G so they are able to compare services, plans, and products without having to maneuver through marketing double-speak or technical specifications. For more technical info on Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wide Band network, click here.
It’s pretty cool to think about the technical revolution that’s headed our way. Have you had any experience with the 5G Home network yet? I’d love to know about your experiences and/or thoughts! Also, if you have any questions, feel free to leave me a comment or shoot me an email. I’m happy to help!
My blog may contain links to other websites. I am not responsible for the privacy policies of those other websites. When you click on a link, your information may be collected by those websites so I encourage you to read their privacy policies. Any affiliate links are not associated with Verizon. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
Photography by Catherine Rhodes.
