Verizon's vision is 2020 for network technology

NEW YORK, NY – Leading the industry and introducing the most advanced technology is important, but only because it means our customers have early access to the best technology possible to run their businesses, enjoy entertainment, connect with loved ones and connect with the world around them in new and profound ways. 

In 2020, Verizon is poised to provide the platforms and tools businesses need to transform how industries operate, provide new and exciting consumer services, and improve our society. We will continue to build our 5G network focusing on providing a differentiated experience in public spaces, continue to advance our 4G LTE and fiber networks to continue to provide the reliability customers have come to expect from Verizon, expand our Mobile Edge Compute technology to usher in an era of extremely low-latency applications for businesses and consumers, and ensure we are building strong ecosystems around all of these technologies and networks to speed new services and capabilities to market.

We are uniquely positioned to do this because of the industry-leading work we accomplished in 2019 that positioned us to rapidly advance the technologies our customers deserve.

A look back at 2019

Our customers continued to take advantage of our award-winning 4G LTE network and were the first to experience 5G built right. Knowing that 5G would eventually touch nearly every industry sector, impact our economy, and dramatically improve our society, we focused on building out our 5G network, now available in more than 30 cities, in public spaces like stadiums, arenas and downtowns to benefit the largest number of people. We are also deploying the latest technologies and platforms to transform industries, and being deep, collaborative partners with our customers to help them in their digital transformations to get ready for 5G, all while developing the ecosystem to make that 5G network matter.

Making 5G available and accessible

• Verizon was the first in the world to launch a commercial 5G mobile network with a commercially available 5G-enabled smartphone. In early April, we turned on our 5G Ultra Wideband mobility network in Chicago and Minneapolis and 5G is now live in 31 Cities.
• Verizon was first to market in the US with the new Samsung Galaxy S10 5G on the Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband network
• We launched 5G in 16 NFL stadiums and four indoor basketball arenas
• We offered seven 5G devices including the first ever 5G mobile hotspot, the business-ready Inseego 5G MiFi M1000 – the most devices available on a 5G network.

Building out the 5G ecosystem

• Verizon sponsored a number or 5G Challenges – providing either financial support or opening one of our Labs to help companies in a variety of different industries to develop 5G solutions they believe will upend their corners of the world and transform the way people live, work, and play.
• In addition to our 5G lab in New York City, we built additional 5G innovation hubs in Los Angeles, Palo Alto, Washington, DC, and Cambridge in 2019 working closely with innovators, entrepreneurs and leading academic institutions in testing several new 5G applications and use cases.
• We opened the world’s first 5G production studio at RYOT in Los Angeles to create content for immersive entertainment experiences.
• Verizon 5G went to the Emmys Red carpet, powering their runway and event broadband.
• Verizon also took 5G to the Star Wars premiere. Verizon, The Walt Disney Studios StudioLAB, and ILMxLAB teamed up to explore how 5G can transform live entertainment experiences and capture moments built on 5G for broadcast production at the world premiere of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
• Verizon teamed up with Sony and NBC to show how Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband, Sony’s transmitter box and 5G device can support live sports broadcasts.
• Verizon became the official 5G innovation partner with Snap
• Verizon announced a collaboration with Corning to create the factory of the future with 5G
• Verizon lit up the first 5G Shipyard in Newport News

We didn’t stop there. We launched the world’s first Multi-Access Edge Compute (MEC) platform to the developer community, helping accelerate the creation of applications that can fully utilize the speed and low latency that 5G UWB promises.

• We were the first in the world to launch a Mobile Edge Compute platform and are partnering with AWS Wavelength to provide developers the ability to deploy applications that require ultra-low latency to mobile devices using 5G. We launched the first MEC market, in Chicago, and are working with customers like Bethesda Softworks to transform the gaming industry.
• Verizon developed new 5G edge technology that will revolutionize mobility for virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (XR), and augmented reality (AR).

And because we know our customers will depend on our award winning 4G LTE wireless network and fiber network, we continued to pour resources and innovation into them to ensure customers have access to reliable connectivity and the latest and most advanced technology.

Advancing our 4G LTE network

• We continued to virtualize our network to enable faster deployment of new services and technology and to drive efficiency in our network.
• We were first in the world to launch cloud native container-based tech on a wireless network, introducing new efficiencies and abilities to deploy services to customers rapidly and at scale.
• We launched our NB-IoT network, rounding out a full suite of IoT network services for enterprise and small business customers.
• We led the industry to advance innovation in shared spectrum with the launch of CBRS, a unique solution providing greater speeds and capacity for customers, especially in densely populated areas and venues.

Advancing our fiber network

• We demonstrated the customer benefits stemming from a bonded ONT on our fiber network, delivering up to 34 Gbps to a customer’s location.
• We demonstrated applications in traffic and infrastructure management and public safety stemming from technological advancements in fiber sensing.
• We built a fiber-based video distribution network connecting the NBA’s 29 arenas.

Keeping you connected reliably when you need it most.

• The Verizon wireless network showed its worth powering through hurricanes Dorian and Barry and countless wildfires in California maintaining its reliability and keeping communities and first responders connected when they needed it most.
• And the reliability of Verizon’s 4G LTE network continued to shine through countless third party evaluations throughout the year.

2019 was a banner year in building the networks that change the way we work, live and play, but we’re far from done. Expect more great innovations and technology advancements from us in 2020 including a more aggressive build out of our 5G network, greater innovation in how that 5G network is used, dynamic spectrum sharing to drive efficiency in how our spectrum resources are used, advancements in Mobile Edge Compute (MEC) technologies and partnerships, continued innovation in fiber technology and advancements in fiber deployments and, of course, the reliability you’ve come to expect from the nation’s leading provider.