Verizon has announced that it now has access to the total amount of 5G C-band spectrum awarded at auction in March 2021 - four months ahead of schedule. Verizon said residents and visitors in areas where the upgrades are happening will be able to use a full 160 MHz of spectrum, nearly tripling the 5G bandwidth serving customers.
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With this advancement, Verizon can quickly expand and enhance its 5G Ultra Wideband (UW) Network, providing the capacity to accommodate more customers and enable higher data speeds.
"Early access to the remainder of the C-band spectrum puts us another four months ahead of schedule from our original projections. This additional spectrum will make 5G Ultra Wideband available to even more Americans, and will open up more availability of our home and business broadband solutions," said Verizon. "The more spectrum we deploy on our network, the more capacity we add for our customers to connect."
Verizon's C-band Deployments
Verizon stated that it has secured C-Band licenses ranging from 140 to 200 MHz across all available markets. The company initiated the deployment of 60 MHz in the first 46 areas during 2022. As satellite companies have cleared additional spectrum beyond the initial 46 areas, Verizon extended the deployment of 5G Ultra Wideband, utilizing a portion of its licensed bandwidth in numerous markets nationwide.
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As reported by TelecomTalk, with the final clearance from satellite incumbents after clearing C-Band Spectrum, Verizon now possesses the capability to utilize its entire licensed C-band spectrum, averaging 161 MHz from coast to coast, and some markets gaining access to the full 200 MHz.
Verizon said it has been implementing equipment capable of handling the full 200 MHz bandwidth. Consequently, a simple software update will enable customers to observe the effects of this significant bandwidth increase within the immediate upcoming days and weeks.
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Verizon C-Band Spectrum Holdings
Specifically, Verizon now has access to a minimum of 140 MHz of total C-Band spectrum in the contiguous United States and an average of 161 MHz nationwide. This includes bandwidth availability in every accessible market, amounting to 406 markets.
Additionally, Verizon has 200 MHz of C-Band Spectrum in 158 primarily rural markets, covering nearly 40 million people. This advancement further amplifies Verizon's broadband solution portfolio, particularly benefiting rural areas in America.
As of September 2022, Verizon holds a total of 2,035 MHz of spectrum - 294 MHz in Sub 6 GHz spectrum (low and mid-band) and 1,741 MHz of mmWave spectrum (high band).
