Brief:

• Verizon picked Samsung to supply hardware for its 5G fixed wireless service that delivers broadband internet access to homes instead of coaxial or fiber-optic cables. The two companies plan to offer 5G services in Sacramento, CA, by the second half of the year.
• The Korean electronics giant said Verizon will use Samsung 5G radio access units, routers and radio frequency planning services that work without interference from weather conditions like snow or rain. The two companies last year started 5G customer trials among seven U.S. cities in California, Georgia, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Michigan, Texas and Washington, DC.
• Verizon in November first announced plans for the industry's first commercial introduction of wireless 5G residential broadband service in as many as five U.S. markets in 2018. In December, Verizon said Ericsson will provide the 5G network core, 5G radio access network and other services for its fixed 5G service.

Insight:

Cord-cutting has meant ditching a cable subscription or landline phone service in favor of broadband access and a mobile phone for similar services. 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) means that phone companies like Verizon can sign up broadband subscribers without having to connect homes with some kind of physical landline.

For marketers, 5G wireless connections to homes will mean wider varieties of content are easier to download. 5G also promises to let consumers hook up a wider variety of gadgets to the internet, such as appliances, security monitors and home heating and air conditioning systems. As Ericsson detailed in a comprehensive report, the higher capacity of 5G will mean media companies can adopt higher-resolution 4K streaming and more easily offer virtual reality (VR) experiences on mobile devices. More immersive experiences from live concerts and sporting events will become more common, the company said, pointing to an opportunity for marketers.

5G FWA can be seen as a steppingstone toward full 5G mobile service, which Verizon has said it wants to launch in 2019. T-Mobile said it is working with Nokia and Intel on testing 5G technology as a step toward providing nationwide 5G by 2020, per eWeek. AT&T said it will launch 5G mobile in a dozen markets later this year, and Sprint is also working on a 5G network. 5G will enable a wider variety of services, especially for connected cars that will become moving entertainment and information platforms.