Samsung supplying 5G radios and routers to Verizon
Using its proprietary Verizon Technical Forum standard, the carrier plans to activate a fixed wireless access variation of 5G in up to five markets by the end of 2018. So far Verizon has said it will bring the residential broadband service to customers in Los Angeles and Sacramento, Calif., and Houston, Texas. South Korean technology giant Samsung is providing a range of equipment for the projects in Sacramento and Houston, according to the network infrastructure vendor.
After the initial deployment, Verizon has said it will upgrade the radio sites with equipment based on 3GPP’s non-standalone 5G New Radio (NR), which is marked by LTE radio access and core networks with the addition of a 5G carrier. For these residential broadband deployments, Big Red is tapping its 28 GHz and 39 GHz millimeter wave spectrum holdings.
For the Houston and Sacramento projects, Samsung said it’s supplying 5G radios and indoor and outdoor consumer premise equipment. The vendor touted an integrated baseband and radio head, which weighs 20 pounds and is described by the company as “simple to deploy and install.”
Samsung is also an integral part of Sprint’s 5G roadmap, as well as the carriers efforts to enhance its LTE offering by putting its 2.5 GHz spectrum into service and deploying massive multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) antennas.
Sprint, which is working with regulators to gain approval for a merger with T-Mobile US, has identified a number of 5G launch cities, including Atlanta, Ga.; Chicago, Ill.; Dallas and Houston, Texas, Kansas City, Mo., New York City; Phoenix, Ariz., and Washington D.C.
Samsung’s “split-mode” massive MIMO antennas allow “Sprint to deliver 4G LTE and 5G on the same radio simultaneously. This is a highly cost-effective approach, deploying equipment on existing cell sites that is software-upgradeable to 5G without requiring additional tower climbs.”
