Verizon will launch its initial commercial 5G fixed wireless service later this year with network solutions provided by Samsung, the companies announced Wednesday.
Samsung Electronics America will provide commercial 5G Fixed Wireless Access network solutions to Verizon for the debut in Sacramento, Calif., including home routers, Radio Access Units and radio frequency planning services.
The companies partnered on a series of 5G trials in seven U.S. cities last year, and officials noted that they tested and verified mmWave 5G performance in a variety of conditions.
“Samsung applied lessons learned from these real-world trials to ensure that our complete end-to-end 5G portfolio is ready for commercial service,” Mark Louison, the SVP and general manager for networks at SEA, said in a statement. “We are delighted to work with Verizon on this journey to create unprecedented user experiences powered by 5G.”
Verizon in November announced plans to launch commercial 5G fixed wireless service in Sacramento and as many as four additional markets by the end of 2018. The carrier previously announced that Ericsson would provide the 5G network core, 5G Radio Access Network and other services for its fixed 5G service.
“The industry has been discussing 5G connectivity for years, and through our joint collaboration with partners like Samsung, we are beginning to make it a reality for our customers,” Verizon Chief Technology Architect Ed Chan said this week.