Verizon Expands 5G Network in Tampa, Tripling Bandwidth
In a significant development, Verizon announced that it has accelerated its 5G network expansion in Tampa, Florida, by gaining access to the entire amount of 5G C-band spectrum earlier than expected. This move brings forth numerous benefits for Tampa residents and visitors, with the 5G network’s bandwidth almost tripling in capacity.
With this significant enhancement, Verizon can now more quickly expand and strengthen its 5G Ultra Wideband network, providing a much greater capacity to serve more customers and deliver more robust services. The expanded spectrum will also enable higher data speeds, allowing for seamless connectivity and improved user experiences.
An exciting prospect resulting from this development is that Verizon will be able to offer 5G Home broadband and Business Internet services to a broader customer base throughout Tampa. This expansion comes on top of Verizon’s already highly regarded network performance in Tampa, which is ranked as the best in the region according to RootMetrics®, a renowned scientific testing company.
According to Joe Russo, the Executive Vice President and President of Global Networks and Technology for Verizon, gaining early access to the remainder of the C-band spectrum puts the company four months ahead of schedule in its original projections. This not only makes 5G Ultra Wideband available to more Americans but also opens up greater availability of home and business broadband solutions.
Since deploying 5G services using C-band spectrum, Verizon has made lightning-fast 5G service available to over 222 million people in 359 markets across the United States. Moreover, more than 40 million households now have access to Verizon’s Home Internet, with an impressive 384,000 new customers subscribing to Verizon’s Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) based home internet products in the second quarter of this year alone. This brings the total number of FWA customers to an impressive 2.3 million.
Verizon’s achievement of winning C-band licenses for between 140-200 MHz in all available markets allowed the company to begin deploying 60 MHz in the first 46 areas in 2022. As satellite companies have cleared additional spectrum outside of these initial areas, Verizon has been able to deploy 5G Ultra Wideband in many more markets across the country. Now, with the final clearance from these satellite incumbents, Verizon will be able to utilize the entirety of its licensed C-band spectrum, averaging 161 MHz coast to coast with some markets accessing a full 200 MHz.
Verizon has been actively deploying equipment capable of utilizing the full 200 MHz of bandwidth. A simple software update will enable customers to experience the effects of this significant increase in bandwidth shortly.
The immediate result of Verizon’s expanded access to the C-band spectrum is the availability of greater capacity and faster speeds in major metro areas where Verizon’s network already boasts an impressive record. In fact, RootMetrics®’s stringent scientific testing found Verizon’s network to be undefeated in 96.8% of metro drive tests conducted in the first half of 2023. Additionally, the expanded spectrum will facilitate the further expansion of Verizon’s 5G network into more rural and suburban areas, ensuring that more communities can benefit from reliable and fast 5G connectivity.
Verizon’s relentless pursuit of network excellence enables improved connectivity and enhanced user experiences for its customers. With the accelerated expansion of its 5G Ultra Wideband network in Tampa, Verizon continues to solidify its position as a leading provider of 5G services in the United States.
Note: The rankings mentioned in this article are based on scientific testing conducted by RootMetrics®, a reputable testing company. However, it is essential to understand that individual experiences may vary, and the RootMetrics award does not serve as an endorsement of Verizon.
Sources:
– Verizon. Verizon Accelerates 5G Expansion in Tampa, Tripling Bandwidth. Verizon Newsroom, April 28, 2023.
