Signs point to Atlanta being a new market for Verizon's 5G, as the operator gears up to deploy the initial fixed wireless gigabit services in the second half of 2018.

Verizon has just got an experimental test license from the FCC to test 28GHz millimeter wave 5G equipment in Atlanta, as well as a test permit for Sacramento, Calif., which Verizon has already named as a 5G market, its first -- and only -- so far.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) said in November 2017 that it would launch fixed 5G in three to five markets in the US in the second half of 2018. (See Verizon Says 'Up to 5' Fixed 5G Markets Will Go Live in 2H18.)

"The purpose of the proposed operations is to conduct a market trial of communications equipment," Verizon said in the application document. The trials are for fixed usage. Verizon is planning mobile 5G tests with Qualcomm Inc. (Nasdaq: QCOM) in 2018. (See Verizon Migrating From Homebrew 5G, Enlists Qualcomm for Trials.)

"Obviously, there's going to be some infrastructure changes that need to happen," Chris Schmidt, executive director of device technology at Verizon, told Light Reading in February of the change over from Verizon's own 5GTF specification to the 3GPP 5G NR mobile spec, while noting that Verizon will be able to reuse "generally" the same infrastructure. (See Verizon: We'll Be First With Fixed & Mobile 5G.)

The new test will run from March 20 to September 12 this year.

— Dan Jones, Mobile Editor, Light Reading