The 5G race is on as the wireless operators are battling for rights to be the first in the market. And in line with its plans, Verizon (VZ) has announced that it has picked Los Angeles as the second city to launch fixed 5G services, after Sacramento.
Verizon has continuously been leading the 5G race, leaving rivals including AT&T (T) trailing. Meanwhile, T-Mobile (TMUS) and Sprint (S) are awaiting regulatory approval for a proposed merger.
For its 5G services, Verizon has, right from the start, emphasized on the millimeter-wave spectrum. With the latest acquisition of Straight Path’s licenses, Verizon now owns more millimeter-wave spectrum than AT&T.
The company is yet to announce the other cities where it plans to deploy its 5G services. By the fourth quarter of 2018, Verizon expects to launch its fixed 5G service, the prequel to mobile 5G service, which is expected to be out during the first quarter of 2019.
AT&T aims to launch its 5G services in a dozen cities by the end of 2018, with Dallas, Waco, and Atlanta among the first. The company plans to open a 5G lab in Austin to meet the timeline for mobile 5G deployment.
Sprint plans to offer 5G in nine cities by early next year, while T-Mobile hopes to bring it to four cities by around the same time. The pending merger between Sprint and T-Mobile, is mostly aimed at leading the race by offering a stronger 5G network.