When it launched in Los Angeles, Houston, Sacramento and Indianapolis 13 months ago, Verizon’s fixed 5G wireless service was a head-scratcher.
The No. 1 U.S. wireless company was claiming to be first out of the gate with a 5G service. But in markets like Los Angeles, nobody could seem to find actual access to the network.
A year later, Verizon seems to have made some progress in deploying its fussy millimeter wave technology, which delivers powerful speed and latency, but can only reach a 600- to 800-foot radius from a cell site right now.
Indeed, millimeter wave 5G can’t penetrate into buildings, and it’s a long way from being ubiquitous. But if Verizon’s release of 18 5G coverage maps is correct, the carrier has lined the most popular city streets with its fixed 5G service.
For example, the map of Chicago shown here reveals coverage throughout the Loop, West Loop, and River North.
“5G Ultra Wideband is now live in parts of select cities across the country in locations where more people can experience ultra-fast speeds together,” Verizon said on a page in which all its coverage maps can be accessed.
PC Magazine’s Sascha Segan seems to have been the first to discover Verizon’s map posting.
“The maps are quirky enough for me to think they just might be honest,” Segan wrote. “Verizon's map for Sioux Falls, South Dakota, shows coverage only along one stretch of N Phillips Avenue.”
