Samsung has teamed up with US phone network Verizon to help rollout 5G networks across the US.
The US division of Samsung electronics claims to have completed deployment of 5G systems in the USA. According to the South Korean tech giant, systems for 5G networking have been set up in five US cities, which means the company can now move ahead with customer trials of the service.
Samsung has pledged to begin customer trials of the 5G technology with the help of Verizon, with a view to gauging “user experiences” and evaluating the performance of the networks.
The 5G trials involve “innovative” network systems, including the use of the 28GHz millimetre wave spectrum, as well as “advanced beam-forming antenna technology”. Samsung has set up 5G Access Units that will be installed through business and residential neighbourhood in cities. These units will link with Verizon’s data centres to provide 5G data.
Samsung says it managed “multi-gigabit” (read: seriously ruddy fast) speeds during pre-commercial testing in early December last year.
Speaking about the announcement, Roger Gurnani, Executive VP and Chief Information and Technology Architect at Verizon said:
“We are pleased about the progress made with partners like Samsung on advancing 5G technology commercially. Delivery 5G to these pilot customers is an important step in assessing the business model and customer experience for delivering wireless broadband via 5G.”
Gurnani continued: “Samsung’s early and extensive development in 5G has been very valuable in contributing to Verizon’s 5G Technology Forum progress.”
The Samsung and Verizon 5G trials will kick off in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Texas, Washington DC, and Michigan in the next financial quarter. These locations were chosen to offer a variety of testing parameters, with networks spanning across varying terrain, neighbourhood layouts, and population density.
Youngky Kim, President and Head of Networks Business at Samsung, said: “We are excited to deliver the first end-to-end 5G connectivity in the United States with Verizon. This represents a major leap forward in offering 5G fixed wireless access to consumers.”
“The 5G challenges we will address, and the customer feedback we receive will help lay the foundation for future business models and customer applications.”
It’s worth noting that although Samsung is trialling one method of 5G, the 5G networking we end up with in the UK may be different. There are multiple methods of delivering the next generation of mobil speeds, and the industry hasn’t settled on a final version. It’s also worth remembering that your network speeds depend on your local cellular infrastructure, location, and phone technology, as well as plenty of other factors, so don’t get too excited for blistering speeds just yet.
Related: Best Android Phones 2017
Watch: MWC 2017 – What to expect
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
