Rollout of C-Band 5G Will Bring 10X Faster Connectivity to Millions

When Verizon and AT&T started switching on their C-Band 5G Wednesday (Jan. 19), they began offering millions more customers access to wireless service with internet speeds up to 10 times faster than 4G LTE.

Verizon’s new service will be available to 100 million people in 1,700 cities by the end of the month, and AT&T’s is now available in limited portions of eight metro areas and will expand throughout the year.

Verizon marked the occasion by posting a video on YouTube that explains the benefits for mobile devices, home internet and business internet as well as how to access them.

“This is not just any 5G, this is 5G Ultra Wideband delivering speeds up to 10 times faster than what you have now — and more,” the video says.

Delivering Higher Speeds and Wider Coverage 

This launch followed a six-week pause in response to fears across the aviation industry that the technology would interfere with airline equipment. The day before the launch, Verizon and AT&T said they’d postpone the rollout near some U.S. airports while going forward with more than 90% of their planned networks.

Read more: AT&T, Verizon Postpone 5G at Some US Airports

In the areas where it’s being deployed, C-Band offers both higher speeds and wider coverage. It has fewer limitations than two other forms of 5G that have been rolled out using different spectrum bands.

One, low-band 5G, can reach a wide geographic area but is no faster than 4G LTE. The other, millimeter wave (mmWave) 5G, is faster but has a limited range and can be blocked by buildings and other obstacles, so its applications are limited to stadiums, enterprises and other areas with high demand and limited area.

“The key thing to understand about C-Band is that it provides a great combination of ultra-fast speeds and wide geographic coverage,” Chris Sambar, EVP — Technology Operations at AT&T, wrote in a blog post on the company’s site.

Enabling Faster, More Responsive Connectivity 

AT&T customers who are accessing the company’s C-Band or mmWave will see a “5G+” symbol on their device.

“5G+ is faster and more responsive for the most demanding apps and services, from gaming to streaming to video conferencing,” Sambar wrote. “As developers and creators invent amazing new online apps and services, 5G+ will make it all feel near seamless.”

Verizon calls its C-Band network 5G Ultra Wideband and notes that it brings faster speeds to customers while on the go, in their homes or in their businesses. The company reports 100 million people in 1,700 cities will have access on their mobile devices, 20 million households will have access to home wireless broadband and 2 million businesses will be covered by its 5G Business Internet service.

“The power of our 5G Ultra Wideband network will be transformative for businesses of all sizes and these plans make it as easy as possible to start taking advantage of the network today,” Verizon Businesses CEO Tami Erwin said in a press release. “As seven in ten business decision makers believe that 5G will help them overcome the adverse impacts of the pandemic, we are confident that our 5G Ultra Wideband will give them the performance, reliability and security they need.”