“Hyper-dense network” is focus of in-building 5G partnership between Verizon and Boingo
In its push to launch millimeter wave-based 5G service in 30 cities by the end of the year, Verizon today lit up it’s new network In Phoenix. The carrier’s “5G Ultra Wideband” network is also available in Washington D.C., Atlanta, Detroit, Indianapolis, Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis, Providence and St. Paul.
In terms of coverage in Phoenix, the operator said 5G connections will be available at the Phoenix Convention Center, Talking Stick Resort Arena, The Orpheum Theatre, CityScape, Chase Field and the Arizona State University campus in nearbyTempe.
As Verizon continues to expand its 5G footprint, CEO Hans Vestberg has called out dynamic spectrum sharing as a key piece of achieving nationwide coverage. DSS is a software functionality that allows 5G NR and LTE to operate at the same time at the same frequency and avoids the costly an time-consuming spectrum re-farming process.
Verizon, while not letting slip too many details, announced it will work with venue connectivity specialist Boingo Wireless “to architect a hyper-dense network designed for large and small indoor spaces,” and called out “airports, stadiums and arenas, office buildings, hotels, etc.”
Millimeter wave often gets dinged due to its limited propagation characteristics. In terms of in-building coverage, there’s no chance of an outdoor-in coverage approach but exploratory testing from Qualcomm indicates that millimeter wave can serve in-building connectivity needs.
That work includes setting up a 5G NR millimeter wave network at company offices in New Jersey. The company is using three gNodeBs to cover around 30,000-square-feet.
