Verizon “on track” to Deliver 5G Service Using the C Band Spectrum to 100 Million+ People in First Quarter of 2022

By B.N. Frank

Worldwide opposition to 5G deployment has been ongoing for years due to a variety of significant risks associated with the technology including

Aviation safety risks (see 1, 2)
Cybersecurity risks (see 1, 2, 3, 4)
Environmental risks (see 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
Health risks (see 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. 10)
Privacy risks (see 1, 2, 3)
Weather forecasting satellite interference risks
Utility infrastructure interference risks

In fact, last month AT&T and Verizon agreed to delay U.S. deployment until January as well as limit it for six months due to considerable aviation safety risks from 5G frequencies in the C band. Nevertheless, Verizon has announced its plans to unleash more 5G in the C band early next year.

From RCR Wireless:

Verizon exceeds 2021 5G plans, will focus on C band expansion in 2022

Verizon now provides 5G phone service to parts of 87 U.S. cities, 5G Home to parts of 65 cities and 5G Business Internet to parts of 62 cities

Verizon says that is has surpassed its goal of deploying 14,000 new 5G Ultra Wideband, or millimeter wave (mmWave), cells sites by the end of 2021. The carrier now provides 5G phone service to parts of 87 U.S. cities, 5G Home to parts of 65 cities and 5G Business Internet to parts of 62 cities.

At the 2021 UBS Global TMT Conference earlier this week, CEO Hans Vestberg foreshadowed this latest news, indicating that Verizon has made significant progress across its five “vectors of growth,” and anticipates this trend to continue into next year.

“I have to say ’22 is an important year, and we feel really excited about it,” Vestberg said at the conference.

Kyle Malady, CTO of Verizon further characterized the carrier’s progress in a more recent statement: “This year our team has nearly doubled its 5G deployment versus the past two years and exceeded the aggressive targets we set at the beginning of the year, even in the face of global supply chain issues, and we’re not stopping. We are on track to deliver our 5G Ultra Wideband service using C Band spectrum to more than 100 million people in the first quarter of 2022.”

To support its C Band ambitions, Verizon has partnered with Crown Castle and SBA Communications to accelerate the deployment of C Band equipment and has conducted trials to improved aggregation of C band spectrum with mmWave spectrum. A trial conducted in May 2021 achieved speeds of 4.3 Gbps.

When asked about Verizon’s future goals for the C Band spectrum, the company’s Senior VP of engineering Heidi Hemmer previously told RCR Wireless News that the plan is to cover 250 million POPs sometime in 2024. Separately, Vestberg told investors that the carrier will pump another $10 billion into deploying C Band over the next two years to put the spectrum into use as quickly as possible.

Verizon also claims to have outdone itself regarding broadband coverage goals, stating that it has 5G Home available in five times the number of markets compared to last year, and that its 5G Business Internet is in nearly three times the number of cities originally projected for 2021.

In regard to service, studies have already determined that 4G is still better, more reliable, and safer than 5G (see 1, 2, 3, 4, 5). At least one survey has also determined that consumers prefer internet reliability over speed. 5G infrastructure can reduce property value as well (see 1, 2).

Since 2017 doctors and scientists have been asking for 5G moratoriums on Earth and in space (see 1, 2) and the majority of scientists oppose deployment. Since 2018 there have been reports of people and animals experiencing symptoms and illnesses after it was installed (see 1, 2, 3, 4). Of course, there are also health and environmental risks associated with 4G infrastructure too. In August 2021, a federal court ruled in favor of petitioners who sued the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for not protecting Americans from harmful wireless radiation exposure. More recently, petitioners submitted a new filing asking again that the FCC review scientific evidence and establish protective radiation exposure limits. Unfortunately, the Biden administration isn’t just turning a blind eye to all of this, the Infrastructure Bill supports additional funding for more 5G deployment.