Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless began its 4G LTE journey in 2008, beginning with initial tests to transition from older mobile communication technologies to the emerging global LTE standard. On December 5, 2010, Verizon commercially launched its LTE network in 39 markets using 2x10 MHz of B13 (700 MHz). By December 2011, Verizon's 4G LTE network expanded rapidly to cover 200 million Americans across 190 markets.

Further enhancing its network, Verizon introduced LTE on additional spectrum bands. On May 19, 2014, Verizon announced its "XLTE" service, leveraging 2x10 MHz of B4 AWS spectrum to alleviate network congestion and enhance performance. This allowed compatible devices to select the optimal spectrum—either 700 MHz or AWS—based on availability.

In 2014, Verizon Wireless advanced its LTE capabilities by deploying VoLTE and launching its Advanced Calling 1.0 service on September 15, which included features like HD voice and video calling over LTE. The same year, Verizon partnered with Qualcomm and Ericsson to trial an LTE supplemental downlink in the 3.5 GHz spectrum in July, anticipating future network demands. SDL has been used in both B46 and B48 bands.

Verizon also refarmed its 1900 MHz spectrum for LTE, contributing to its robust multi-spectrum strategy. By August 29, 2016, LTE-Advanced features were available in 461 cities nationwide. The network utilized two-carrier (225 Mbps) and three-carrier (300 Mbps) aggregation technologies, optimizing the use of B2, B4, and B13 spectrum, or a combination of all three to achieve speeds up to 300 Mbps.

To augment IoT services provided by the company's LTE-M network since March 2017, Verizon launched its NB-IoT network in May 2019. The new network operates in the guardband of the company's existing LTE carriers including B13 (700 MHz).

Verizon Wireless began its path towards 5G in September 2015 when Roger Gurnani, the company's chief information and technology architect, announced plans to trial a 5G network within 12 months, aiming for a preliminary commercial deployment by 2017.

Despite officially inaugurating its 5G network in October 2018 as a fixed wireless 'home broadband' network, Verizon claimed a world first when on the 3rd April 2019 it announced its '5G Ultra Wideband' network as the first smartphone-compatible 5G network. Both fixed wireless and mobile networks are based on Verizon's mmWave n261 (28 GHz) 5G carrier. Verizon uses 400 MHz of its 28 GHz spectrum holdings, the largest channel size permitted in 5G mmWave bands.

By the end of 2019, Verizon had launched its 5G service in 30 cities across the U.S., using n261 (28 GHz) mmWave spectrum. Despite its capability for high speeds, this high-band spectrum faced challenges such as limited range and significant penetration loss, which restricted its effectiveness over larger areas.

In response to these limitations, Verizon expanded its 5G strategy by incorporating sub-6 GHz spectrum, announced during a virtual event in October 2020 coinciding with the unveiling of the iPhone 12. This "Nationwide 5G" service offered a more extensive coverage area compared to the mmWave spectrum, now branded as "5G Ultra Wideband." It was made available to most existing Verizon subscribers with compatible devices through dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) with LTE. Although this service didn't reach the peak speeds of mmWave, it significantly broadened the accessibility of 5G.

By December 2020, Verizon’s DSS-enabled 5G service was accessible to over 200 million people. Continuing its expansion, by April 2023, Verizon achieved a milestone with its 5G Ultra Wideband coverage, extending its reach to 200 million people.