For a while now, mobile providers have been issuing (or renting) small amplifiers or mini cell towers for your home that piggyback off your internet connection in areas where they have poor service. It uses your internet connection (ie, cable or satellite) to broadcast their network throughout your home so that you can have reception on your phone(s).
Now they have a similar solution that not only gives you a signal on your phone but it is your internet connection as well. Verizon wants to bring 5G internet to your home, in a hard push to compete with the cable and satellite companies. So you will have one company for both home and mobile. Kind of like when Cox was offering VoIP solution in all of their “bundle” commercials that very few people wanted (what’s the point when it doesn’t have any advantages over your mobile device). This, however, is a bundle people might reach for if it works.
They are offering it in the form of a 5G modem that receives reception from Verizon, just like your phone, and uses it to broadcast WiFi throughout your home (or business). Of course, it doesn’t ALSO act like an extender for the reception on your phone. My words a moment ago were more of a play on the fact that if you make use of WiFi calling and data, then it technically is supplying your phone as well (details).
Of course, you may not have access to the new service just yet. Currently, they are promising to offer 5G Home Internet to every city they have 5G operating in. So if you can score 5G on your phone, you should be able to score 5G at home as well. For those cities that don’t have 5G yet, clearly there will be some waiting had.
They do hope to have their network rolled out to at least 30 cities by the end of the year. This is good, but looking at the number of cities across our fine country, this is also going to take some time before they become a real threat. Thankfully, threat is a magical word. With more competition hitting the streets, your current provider should feel some pressure. You might see better packages or even prices rolling out. Most importantly, there will be more pressure to expand and evolve faster to keep up.
Sadly, we do not have Verizon’s 5G here in Vegas just yet, so there is no way to test it out just yet. But, they are rolling out plans at 300Mb/s, meaning they are throwing punches at the start, competing with one of the most popular data speeds out there outside of gigabit (ie, Cox’s most widely subscribed plan is their 300Mb/s package).
If 5G is rolling out to your city, then you should be able to start asking about getting it in your home (if you so desire).
