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5G Moto Mod gets FCC certification

The attachment will make the Moto Z3 the first phone upgradable to 5G speeds.

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Steven Musil Night Editor / News
Steven Musil is the night news editor at CNET News. He's been hooked on tech since learning BASIC in the late '70s. When not cleaning up after his daughter and son, Steven can be found pedaling around the San Francisco Bay Area. Before joining CNET in 2000, Steven spent 10 years at various Bay Area newspapers.
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The Federal Communications Commission has certified the 5G Moto Mod, suggesting that the attachment offering 5G capability could be on the market soon.

Motorola announced in August the Moto Z3, a phone with magnetic backings that attach to Moto Mods, or modules. The mods, which were granted FCC approval on Friday, would make the Verizon exclusive the first phone to be upgradable to 5G.

When the 5G modular attachment is snapped on, Motorola says that its Z3 phone will deliver data 10 times faster than other 4G LTE devices at speeds up to 5Gbps (5 gigabits per second). Right now, the Z3 contains only technology to access 4G data speeds.

The importance of getting a leg up on 5G before 5G networks even exist can't be overstated. 5G, the next generation of wireless data technology, will increase upload and download speeds by an order of magnitude, and will help devices talk to each other almost instantaneously. 

Industry leaders are confident that 5G will change the way cities are run, classrooms operate and companies do business. The wireless networks and devices that can secure an early lead in providing reliable 5G networks and devices can draw more customers who are hungry to for ridiculously fast data.