Samsung Gets FCC Go-Ahead to Bring Verizon 5G to Sactown
Samsung now has approval from the FCC to provide Verizon with fixed 5G equipment for its first market -- in Sacramento, Calif., later this year.
The fixed 5G equipent -- using Verizon's own "5GTF" specification -- will provide a wireless 1-Gbit/s connection over-the-air for homes to surf the web, stream video and make live virtual reality (VR) connections, according to Samsung.
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) says it will launch three to five fixed 5G by the end of this year. Sacramento is the only market that Big Red has announced so far. (See Verizon Says 'Up to 5' Fixed 5G Markets Will Go Live in 2H18 and Is Atlanta the Next 5G Market for Verizon?)
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has now approved Samsung Corp. 's indoor 5G router. Previously, it has approved Samsung's access unit and outdoor 5G router. Samsung says this now means that its "end-to-end system" is ready for Verizon to use.
This 28GHz system will likely be the first commercial millimeter wave (mmWave) 5G system ready for use in the US. "The indoor 5G home router is a small consumer device that receives and transmits the 5G signal to provide ultra-high speed broadband wireless service," Samsung says, in a statement, this shares this 5G signal to multiple devices via WiFi. (See Samsung Supplying 5G for Verizon's First Market and Verizon's Fixed 5G: Are You Ready for the Wireless Gig Rush?)
One of the key questions for the millimeter wave units is how much range they can provide. "Coverage in a given location is highly dependent on a range of variables, including foliage, elevation, and router placement," Alok Shah, VP of strategy, business development and marketing for Samsung Networks says. (See Could 5G Have Found Its Glass Ceiling?)
"In past announcements Verizon has noted that they measured gigabit speeds at distances of greater than 2000 feet in some locations during the 2017 consumer trial," he added.
Verizon has previously said that it will move to standards-based 5G NR fixed and mobile networks as soon as possible. We asked Samsung about the upgrade path for its equipment.
"The upgrade path to 5G NR involves software updates to many of the components and hardware changes/swaps for others" Shah said. (See Verizon: We'll Be First With Fixed & Mobile 5G.)
— Dan Jones, Mobile Editor, Light Reading
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