Verizon strikes roaming deal to allow for 5G use in South Korea

Verizon is expanding its 5G service, at least for those who are traveling internationally. On Monday the wireless giant announced that it has reached a deal with South Korean wireless provider LG U Plus to allow for those visiting the country to be able to take advantage of 5G. 

Verizon says that those traveling will be able to use South Korea's 3.5GHz midband 5G network. In its tests, the US carrier says it was able to get average download speeds of 252 megabits per second and upload speeds of 119Mbps. 

Verizon says a "compatible device" is required, though it is unclear if the carrier's current 5G portfolio will be able to take advantage of international roaming or if you will need a newer 5G device. 

CNET has reached out to Verizon for more details and will update if it responds. 

You will also need a compatible Verizon 5G unlimited plan at home to be able to take advantage of 5G abroad. Verizon currently charges $10 per day for a TravelPass to use your phone internationally, though that slows high-speed data after half a gigabyte is used.

Read more: 5G phones in 2020: Galaxy S20, OnePlus Nord, LG Velvet, Motorola Edge Plus and more

The home country of Samsung and LG , South Korea is seen as one of the leading countries when it comes to deploying 5G. According to a June report from research firm OpenSignal, the country's three major wireless carriers -- KT, LG U Plus and SK Telecom -- had 7 million customers on 5G, up from 6.3 million users at the end of April.

While most people are currently staying home, the announcement marks the first time a US carrier has reached a roaming agreement to allow for 5G to be used abroad. 

Verizon, which plans to launch a nationwide low-band network in the US later this year to go along with its higher-frequency millimeter-wave 5G offering, says preparations for 5G roaming trials with other countries are "underway."