Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network, which launched Wednesday with the carrier’s rollout of C-band frequency usage, has broadened the availability of its 5G fixed wireless home broadband product. In December, Verizon 5G Home Internet was available in 65 cities. Today, that number has jumped more than tenfold.
“With this expansion, we’re talking approximately 900 cities now,” Brian Danfield, vice president, Commercial and 5G Strategic Planning, told CNET about the Ultra Wideband launch. “It’s available in a lot more places. The narrative changes, and it’s a different dynamic.”
Verizon 5G Home’s availability in 900 cities is a significant jump that catapults it past T-Mobile Home Internet, which is currently available to just over 600 cities nationwide. That said, T-Mobile’s service is still open to more total households. It launched with availability to over 30 million homes, while Verizon’s fixed wireless internet is now available to 20 million households.
“We think people are looking for other choices,” said Danfield, pointing out that Verizon wireless customers can try 5G Home for half off. “We want to be that. We want to disrupt in this space.”
Danfield added that the current expansion of 5G Home and its existing LTE fixed wireless solution is part of working out a national broadband offering to consumers that extends well beyond the reach of Verizon Fios, its fiber internet service available primarily in the Northeast.
“What we’ve committed to, and what we’re still working toward, is by 2025, we are going to cover 50 million households,” Danfield said. “Certainly, we will aspire to do that even sooner, but that’s our goal. Last year, we said we’d get to 15 million by the end of 2021, and today we’re at 20 million.”
Verizon 5G Home Internet features maximum download speeds of up to 1 gigabit and average download speeds around 300 megabits per second. There aren’t any contracts, data caps or extra fees, meaning all equipment is included in the base price. Verizon 5G Home is $50 a month, with a two-year price guarantee, and Verizon 5G Home Plus is $70 a month, which features a three-year price lock and additional perks. You can also get 50% off either plan if you have a qualifying Verizon Unlimited mobile account.