The tests come just as Verizon is co-founding the 5G Open Trial Specification Alliance, an attempt to form a common spec for 5G testing that gets it off the ground. This isn't the same as forming a true 5G standard (that's up to the 3GPP group), but it should help more test runs take place between now and 2018.

The move does give Verizon some bragging rights over AT&T, which won't start its 5G tests in Austin until sometime later in the year. With that said, this is the carrier equivalent of shouting "first!" in the comments -- it's more symbolic than practical. Verizon and its partners still have to solve some major issues, such as maintaining connections indoors (millimeter wave signals drop off quickly) and shrinking the technology to the point that it fits in your pocket rather than a van full of custom gear. If nothing else, though, it shows that Verizon is dead serious about its goal of offering 5G service in 2017.