How Verizon is Using Software to Power Its 5G Network

Verizon this week announced the early phases of its standards-based mobile 5G network with the first two cities, Chicago and Minneapolis, going live on April 11. The nation’s largest network operator says the service will be available in “select areas” in those markets, and it plans to bring an additional 30 markets online later this year. This also marks the first time Verizon will use the global 5G New Radio (NR) standard developed by 3GPP. The carrier used proprietary technology from the Verizon 5G Technology Forum to launch fixed 5G broadband in four markets in October 2018, and now says all 5G services going forward will use the 5G NR standard. AT&T late last year was the first U.S. carrier to launch a standards-based mobile 5G network with service in a dozen cities, but Verizon is now positioned to be second, launching a little less than four months behind its largest competitor.