Verizon’s fast C-band 5G goes live with high speeds and better coverage

Verizon’s ultra-wideband test for mmWave

what you need to know

• On Wednesday, January 19, C-band 5G joined mmWave in Verizon’s Ultra Wideband 5G coverage, covering 90 million.
• Verizon expects to reach 100 million people in 1,700 cities by the end of the month.
• Verizon has several phones ready to use the new network, including the upcoming Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro in the Samsung Galaxy S21 series.

Verizon has announced that it will bring ultra-broadband 5G coverage to more than 90 million people with the launch of its C-band network. This mid-band spectrum between 3.7GHz and 4GHz will provide greater coverage than millimeter-wave technology, and speeds much higher than those of 5G nationwide.

While Verizon plans to reach 100 million people by the end of the month, it has had to scale back its expansion slightly due to FAA concerns. In its announcement, Verizon noted that more than 40 countries have deployed on this spectrum without any issues.

While C-band speeds won’t be as high as millimeter-wave connections, The Verge shows that some Verizon customers have seen C-band speeds of up to 800Mbps. Results over 500Mbps are common, putting the C-band upgrade in line with T-Mobile’s mid-band 5G results.

The Verge also confirmed that Verizon has several C-band phones in the pipeline, with 20 expected to support the network by the end of the year. Currently, C-band on Verizon is available for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 series, as well as the 5th generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro, 3rd generation 11-inch iPad Pro, and 6th generation iPad Mini. For Android, the Samsung Galaxy S21 series is ready along with the Z Flip3 and Z Fold 3. Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro support coming soon.

While we still don’t have a 5G coverage map, you can prepare for an upgraded network by making sure your plan supports Ultra Wideband 5G. Verizon’s new 5G Play More, 5G Do More and 5G Get More plans all support Ultra Wideband as well as the old Play More, Do More and Get More plans. These are some of the best 5G cell phone plans you can get. Your phone will also need to have the latest update installed in order to connect.

Cell phones aren’t the only devices benefiting from Verizon, which notes that its wireless broadband reaches 20 million homes and its commercial Internet service reaches 2 million businesses.