Verizon 5G marches toward goal of 30 cities in 2019 -- 22 down, 8 to go
Los Angeles, Des Moines, Hoboken and Memphis have joined the Verizon 5G club this week.
- I've been covering technology and mobile for 12 years, first as a telecommunications reporter and assistant editor at ZDNet in Australia, then as CNET's West Coast head of breaking news, and now in the Thought Leadership team.
Memphis is the 22nd city to get 5G under Verizon in 2019.
Verizon turned on 5G in Memphis, Tennessee, on Thursday -- its fourth new 5G city in four days and its 22nd altogether. Memphis' rollout follows the same in Los Angeles on Monday, Des Moines, Iowa, on Tuesday, and Hoboken, New Jersey, on Wednesday.
Verizon's 5G network is already live in Dallas, Omaha, Atlanta, Detroit, Indianapolis, Washington, DC, Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Providence, Boston, Houston and Sioux Falls.
5G has been rolling out scattershot across this US this year, as Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile seek to tap the super-fast speeds of the new network technology. Beyond offering a big speed boost, 5G is considered the foundational tech that'll supercharge niches like self-driving cars, virtual and augmented reality and telemedicine such as remote surgery
Verizon has just under two weeks left to hit its goal of reaching 30 cities with 5G in 2019. Left on the agenda for this year are Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Little Rock, Kansas City, San Diego and Salt Lake City.
To use Verizon's 5G network, you'll need a 5G phone like the Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G, and a Verizon unlimited plan that supports 5G.
In Des Moines, 5G is available in parts of downtown, East Village and West Des Moines, Verizon said. The service will also be available around landmarks including the Iowa state capitol, Hyvee Hall, Wells Fargo Arena, Pappajohn Sculpture Park, Principal Park, Jordan Creek Town Center and MercyOne West Des Moines.
Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie said the network "will enhance the way our city is able to communicate."
In Hoboken, the service will be concentrated on Willow Avenue between 1st and 16th streets, 5th Street between Marshall Drive and Garden Street, and Adams Street between 2nd and 7th streets. It'll also be available around landmarks including the Hoboken University Medical Center, Church Square Park, Hoboken Public Library and Mama Johnson Field.
In Memphis, Verizon said 5G service will be available in downtown, midtown, the Cooper-Young neighborhood and East Memphis, as well as near landmarks like the National Civil Rights Museum, Overton Square, the Medical District, Liberty Bowl, Eastgate Shopping Center and Oak Court Mall.
"It will help us attract entrepreneurs who will use this technology to invent the next big thing we all can't live without," said Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland. "It shows the world our momentum, and that Memphis is open for business."
You'll be able to check the Verizon 5G coverage maps for more details on Friday.
Originally published Dec. 17.
Updates, Dec. 18: Adds the Verizon 5G is now available in Hoboken, New Jersey. And Dec. 19: Adds information on Memphis Tennessee.