Angela Lang / CNET
The launch of Verizon’s 5G continues in 2021 and is starting with the expansion of its 5G Home broadband offering to six new cities. On Thursday, the country’s largest operator announced that it will start the new service in parts of Arlington, Texas; Miami; San Francisco and Anaheim, California; and St. Louis on January 14.
On January 28, the operator will add parts of Phoenix to its list, increasing the count of its 5G locations to parts of 18 cities across the country. It was not known exactly where the new service will be available in each of the new cities, but interested parties should be able to consult their addresses on the Verizon website.
An alternative to traditional high-speed cable providers such as Comcast or Charter Spectrum, the 5G Home service uses Verizon’s 5G high-frequency millimeter wave network and offers “typical” download speeds of 300 Mbps (with spikes that can reach up to 1 Gbps). The service costs $ 50 per month with certain Verizon “qualified” wireless plans or $ 70 if you are not entitled, if any, to Verizon wireless service.
There are no internet service contracts and taxes and fees, as well as the router, are already included in the price. In an attempt to get people to switch to their service, the operator is offering new customers a “free Amazon Smart Home package” that includes an Echo Show 5, a Ring Stick Up camera, Echo Dot and an Amazon Smart Plug. Verizon is also offering a free year of the new Discovery Plus streaming service for new 5G Home users.
In addition to announcing the new 5G cities, Verizon also said it will activate its mobile millimeter wave network in parts of Colorado Springs, Colorado; Columbia, South Carolina; and Knoxville, Tennessee, “later this month”. With these new markets, the fastest version of Verizon’s 5G network will be available in parts of 64 cities across the country.
See too: 5G phones in 2021: iPhone 12, Galaxy Note 20, Pixel 5 and more
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