Verizon CEO Promises Gigabit-Capable 'Wireless Fiber' in 2017 Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam this week continued to promise that Verizon is developing gigabit-speed capable wireless connections the CEO affectionately now calls "wireless fiber." Historically wireless hasn't been seen as a suitable replacement for fixed broadband connections, but Verizon claims that the advancement in speed and latency in fifth generation wireless (5G) will finally change that.

It's part of the reason Verizon has been selling (or in many instances neglecting or actively driving away ) unwanted DSL customers to focus more intensely on wireless and slinging video advertisements at Millennials. Speaking at the UBS 44th Annual Global Media And Communications Conference, McAdam said that the company would begin conducting 5G trials starting early next year, providing participants with free wireless broadband and access to a skinny bundle of basic video channels. “We won’t be charging for the service, but we will be learning from it and figuring out the distance between the transmitter and the receiver in a 5G environment," McAdam said. The CEO said the plan is "to offer 1 Gbps broadband service...and then offer an over-the-top bundle" of video service. These initial trials will be conducted largely in smaller towns, the CEO said. McAdam also reiterated previous claims that these emerging technologies will lean heavily on small cells affixed to telephone poles. "This will allow you to stop anywhere from 200 feet to 1,000 feet, somewhere in that range, we think, from the home and then make it a wireless last leg into the home,” McAdam said. "And I think that is going to be the predominant architecture for wireless service going forward. As always the question regarding 5G isn't really speed -- it's clear that it's going to be fast. The real question is what Verizon will charge to access the service when it finally goes live, and just what kind of usage caps and overage fees consumers can expect. All told it's far too early for Verizon to confirm pricing -- especially since the 5G standard hasn't even technically been created yet. Still, we should begin to see some additional detail as 2017 rolls along. As always the question regarding 5G isn't really speed -- it's clear that it's going to be fast. The real question is what Verizon will charge to access the service when it finally goes live, and just what kind of usage caps and overage fees consumers can expect. All told it's far too early for Verizon to confirm pricing -- especially since the 5G standard. Still, we should begin to see some additional detail as 2017 rolls along.







News Jump WISPs Get CBRS Range As Great As Six Miles At 100 Mbps Speeds; Windstream Officially Exits Bankruptcy; + more news Charter Relaunches Free 60-day Internet And Wi-Fi Offer; NCTA: FCC Should Stick With 25/3 Speed Threshold; + more news Comcast Shuts Off Internet for Subs Who Were Sold Service Illegally; AT&T, Verizon Team To Stop T-Mobile 5G; + more news California Defends Its Net Neutrality Law; AT&T's Traffic Up 20% Despite Data Traffic Actually Being Down; + more news Are The Comcast-Charter X1 Talks Dead In The Water?; AT&T May Offer Phone Plans With Ads For Discounts; + more news Europe's Top Court: Net Neutrality Rules Bar Zero Rating; ViacomCBS To Rebrand CBS All Access As Paramount+; + more news Verizon To Buy Reseller TracFone For $7B; 5G Not The Competitive Threat To Cable Many Thought It Would Be; + more news MS.Wants Records From AT&T On $300M Project; Google Fiber Outages In Austin, Houston, Other Texan Cities; + more news States With The Biggest Decreases In Speed; AT&T Hopes You'll Forget Its Fight Against Accurate Maps; + more news AT&T's CEO Has A Familiar $olution To US Broadband Woes; EarthLink Files Suit Against Charter; + more news ---------------------- this week last week most discussed

Most recommended from 56 comments

jytr

join:2005-02-03

New Fairfield, CT 36 recommendations jytr Member Wireless Fiber - Ha Ha Yeah - Right, wireless fiber. Sounds like a lot of bullshit.



We need municipal broadband, plain and simple. Fiber to the home, all of the America (USA), should and can be wired up.



We need an interstate fiber system, similar to our interstate highways. This can be done, it need to be done. Enough with the bullshit wireless. It's old tech, obsolete & they are milking it like a rare resource/commodity.

Cjaiceman

MVM

join:2004-10-12

Castle Rock, WA (Software) pfSense

Ubiquiti UniFi UAP-AC-PRO

20 recommendations Cjaiceman MVM Say those words again....





"Wireless Fiber".... brad152

join:2006-07-27

Chicago, IL 15 recommendations brad152 Member So.. We are just cutting out the physical drop in the house to be replaced with a much more expensive, error prone wireless transmitter.



Yawn! talk to me when we have a real breakthrough

Packeteers

Premium Member

join:2005-06-18

Forest Hills, NY ·Verizon FiOS

·Charter

Asus RT-AC3100

(Software) Asuswrt-Merlin

14 recommendations Packeteers Premium Member wireless fiber's mortal enemy

TIGERON

join:2008-03-11

Boston, MA 11 recommendations TIGERON Member 5G = pathetic joke I have a bridge to sell the public too.

MDA

Auto Negotiating

Premium Member

join:2013-09-10

Minneapolis, MN 8 recommendations MDA Premium Member Didn't know Fiber can fly?

ham3843

join:2015-01-15

USA 2 edits 7 recommendations ham3843 Member Another con job for gullible consumers from Verizon. The vile cretin executives at Verizon like CEO Lowbrow McWireless count on the technical ignorance of the typical consumer to con them into buying half baked services like these..

YukonHawk

join:2001-01-07

Patterson, NY 222.9 10.7

7 recommendations YukonHawk Member This is Not sure if anyone addressed this, but if your utilities are under ground does Verizon just skip over your neighborhood and tell ya to go to hell? Oh wait they already told our whole town to go to hell and passed right by us with their FIOS lines. Oh well...nothing new here. CANtenna all over again!!Not sure if anyone addressed this, but if your utilities are under ground does Verizon just skip over your neighborhood and tell ya to go to hell?Oh wait they already told our whole town to go to hell and passed right by us with their FIOS lines. Oh well...nothing new here. Mikeysama

join:2007-08-14

Lady Lake, FL 7 recommendations Mikeysama Member I get the skepticism, but... New technology, new competition. If the tech offers even a fraction of the speed it promises, at a low latency, this could shake up the ISP industry, especially if other companies come up with their own offerings. amungus

Premium Member

join:2004-11-26

America 5 recommendations amungus Premium Member very interesting I wonder what the real life range will be on these little towers.



There are several of these towers in my area. Would love to help test! Where to I sign up???



From what I gather, 5G range is limited. 1000' is not that far, and I'm probably right at that range limit between a few of the little towers that've sprouted up. I'd sure be glad to give it a shot... wkm001

join:2009-12-14 4 recommendations wkm001 Member Licensed Wireless Products It takes nearly a year to get wireless products that run on licensed spectrum manufactured. For the quantity Verizon needs probably closer to two.



I'm betting Verizon knows exactly how much they will need to charge for this service.

tim_k

Buttons, Bows, Beamer, Shadow, Kasey

Premium Member

join:2002-02-02

Stewartstown, PA 4 recommendations tim_k Premium Member idiot quote: "This will allow you to stop anywhere from 200 feet to 1,000 feet, somewhere in that range, we think, from the home and then make it a wireless last leg into the home, McAdam said. And how does McAdam's expect to get the connection out to all those poles? Does he expect a mesh network to work on that scale? If not, you have to run fiber or cable out to all those poles and if your wireless solution is only working out to 200-1000', you might as well run a wired connection the rest of the way and avoid issues with wireless. And how does McAdam's expect to get the connection out to all those poles? Does he expect a mesh network to work on that scale? If not, you have to run fiber or cable out to all those poles and if your wireless solution is only working out to 200-1000', you might as well run a wired connection the rest of the way and avoid issues with wireless.

Anon6e0f6

@verizon.net 3 recommendations Anon6e0f6 Anon Wireless Fiber- the oxymoron You heard it in science class; wireless is the wave while fiber is the particle, creating light speed which is light. Hence the dual nature of light, I mean wireless fiber. As good a way as any to explain this marketing bs. mmay149q

Premium Member

join:2009-03-05

Dallas, TX 3 recommendations mmay149q Premium Member Ohhhhhh man I really hope this falls on it's face, if it doesn't then you're going to see every telecom company only offer wireless, and wireless only = getting screwed without lube... F*ck these companies.....