Verizon may not have to put a 5G cell site every four blocks to provide high-speed coverage to homes. In a new video, the carrier shows off its test results with longer-distance and non-line-of-sight 5G connections, showing that it may be easier than previously thought to blanket cities with wireless, gigabit home connections.

Of the several possible approaches to 5G, Verizon is starting with millimeter wave frequencies, which are shorter-range than standard cellular frequencies but can transmit huge amounts of data. Millimeter wave cell sites aren't large, but there need to be a lot of them. They're backpack-sized boxes that fit on light poles or the sides of buildings.

MmWave's range will define how easy it is to install Verizon's new 5G home service throughout cities, and how good the coverage for future mmWave-based mobile systems will be. Last year, Samsung and Verizon said the system would have a range of about 1,500 feet in a best-case circumstance, and recent AT&T trials showed speeds at 500 feet and 900 feet. That would mean a huge number of cell sites, or a very patchy high-speed network.

In the video above, mmWave does tricks. It shows a 5G connection maintaining 1Gbps at 3,000 feet from a radio node. Now, that's a clear, line-of-sight connection, so Verizon showed some other challenging demos. The connection maintained 800Mbps about a third of a mile from the node through a copse of trees. (Foliage tends to scatter mmWave signal.)

Verizon also showed a 960Mbps connection through a wall and a window, from a tower that looked to be a fourth to a third of a mile away. The key is beamforming, which directs connections to the exact spot where a receiver sits.

Those speeds make Verizon's upcoming home service competitive with cable and fiber. Verizon plans to launch 5G home internet service in four cities this year, and more in 2019. Sacramento and Los Angeles will be the first two cities, the company has said. All four of the major US carriers have 5G plans for 2018 and 2019. AT&T plans to launch a service with a mobile hotspot this year, and Sprint and T-Mobile have said they will be launching with phones in 2019.

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