Verizon Plans to Extend 5G Network to Rural Areas by December 2023

Verizon has announced plans to extend its C-band 5G network to more rural and suburban areas by December 2023. During its quarterly earnings call, the telecommunications giant revealed that it will be concentrating on suburban and rural areas for the majority of its network expansion later this year. Although the specific areas to be covered have not been disclosed, Verizon’s CEO, Hans Vestberg, mentioned that the company’s C-band 5G coverage has already been deployed to 70 out of the 406 available markets, mostly in urban and suburban areas.

The Role of C-band Spectrum in Rural Expansion

C-band spectrum is an essential component of Verizon’s rural expansion plans. Although it cannot match the extreme speed of millimeter wave spectrum (mmWave), C-band can work over a far greater range with fewer cell towers. It also does not have as many issues penetrating through buildings as mmWave and should be noticeably faster than Verizon’s standard 5G deployments. Verizon spent $45.4 billion to acquire C-band spectrum licenses at a Federal Communications Commission auction back in 2021, winning between 140 and 200MHz of C-band spectrum across all 406 US markets.

Verizon’s Deployment Strategy

The rollout of the C-band 5G network has been incremental, as most of the spectrum licensed was already in use and requires clearing before it can be reallocated. However, the purchase has primed Verizon to eventually serve over 250 million people with C-band spectrum by “2024 and beyond” via its 5G service. Vestberg did not clarify how many markets would be covered by the network expansion later this year, but the company plans to deploy the C-band 5G network to the majority of suburban and rural areas.

Impact on Rural Customers

The expansion of Verizon’s C-band 5G network to rural areas could result in a significant jump in internet speeds for rural customers. With fewer cell towers required, C-band spectrum could provide faster and more reliable connectivity to underserved areas. Although rural customers are often overlooked by telecommunication companies, Verizon’s plans to extend its 5G network to these areas are a positive development for those who have been struggling with slow internet speeds.