Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. News

Verizon’s newly published maps show exactly where you can access 5G

By

If you’re a Verizon customer interested in knowing exactly where you can take advantage of 5G, you’re in luck. Verizon has finally published a series of maps that give a better idea of exactly where the company’s 5G service is available.

The new maps detail specific streets and sections of streets that offer 5G connectivity, including in midtown Manhattan, Brooklyn, and other locations. Verizon’s 5G service is currently available in 18 cities — and according to Verizon, it’ll be available in 30 cities by the end of the year.

Verizon 5G coverage in downtown Manhattan

As can be seen in the maps, 5G connectivity is largely limited to streets and sidewalks — and not really inside the buildings on those streets and sidewalks. That’s because of the limitations of millimeter wave technology. Millimeter waves have trouble penetrating walls and other obstacles that other radio waves can move through. Verizon seems to be focusing on areas near landmarks and other locations where there might be a high concentration of people.

Recommended Videos

The fact that Verizon so heavily relies on millimeter wave technology could prove problematic for the carrier. Other carriers, like T-Mobile, use a combination of millimeter wave technology, along with midband and low-band spectrum, to help ensure that data connections are a little more robust, and can move through walls and other obstacles — even if the connection isn’t quite as fast as it would be on a millimeter wave connection.

Related

Of course, 5G is still very much in its early days. To take advantage of the 5G connections that are available, you’ll need a 5G-capable phone — and there aren’t all that many 5G handsets available just yet. Verizon offers a few handsets, including the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, the Galaxy Note 10+ 5G, and the LG V50 ThinQ 5G.

Generally, it’s expected that 5G availability will seriously expand in 2020, with many carriers suggesting that they’ll offer nationwide networks. More handsets are also expected. Apple has been rumored to be adopting 5G for its lineup of phones in 2020, and has partnered with Qualcomm to supply the 5G modems needed.

Here’s a full list of locations where 5G is available, from all carriers.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Christian de Looper
Christian de Looper
Contributor
Christian’s interest in technology began as a child in Australia, when he stumbled upon a computer at a garage sale that he…
Here’s how fast 5G on your Samsung Galaxy S23 really is
Samsung Galaxy S23 cameras against greenery

If you’ve been on the fence about picking up one of the latest Galaxy S23 phones, some new research from Ookla may help tip the scales in Samsung’s favor.

In a new speed test report, Ookla tcompared the 5G performance specs of the Galaxy S23 models to last year’s Galaxy S22 in several countries — with some surprising results across the board.
A worthwhile 5G upgrade

Read more
What is 5G UW? The real meaning behind the icon on your phone
Woman holding up smartphone with speed test results on Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband network.

You've probably noticed that there's been much more hype around 5G than for any of the wireless technologies that came before. Some of that is just marketing, of course; we are living in an increasingly connected era, and there are far more people toting smartphones now than there were in 2012 when 4G/LTE was just beginning to go mainstream. However, it's also not an exaggeration to say that with considerably faster speeds and the ability to handle many more devices, 5G is a much bigger step into the next stage of global connectivity. You've also probably noticed it yourself with a "5G UW" icon at the top of your phone.

As with most new technologies, 5G comes with some new challenges for both carriers and consumers. One of the most significant of these has been working out the best way to deploy 5G services across the much wider range of frequencies that it's capable of operating on. This wasn't nearly as significant a problem in the days of 3G and 4G/LTE services, which all operated in a much narrower range of radio spectrum.

Read more
What is 5G? Speeds, coverage, comparisons, and more
The 5G UW icon on the Samsung Galaxy S23.

It's been years in the making, but 5G — the next big chapter in wireless technology — is finally approaching the mainstream. While we haven't yet reached the point where it's available everywhere, nearly all of the best smartphones are 5G-capable these days, and you're far more likely to see a 5G icon lit up on your phone than not.

There's more to 5G than just a fancy new number, though. The technology has been considerably more complicated for carriers to roll out since it covers a much wider range of frequencies than older 4G/LTE technology, with different trade-offs for each. It's also a much farther-reaching wireless technology, promising the kind of global connectivity that was once merely a dream found in futuristic sci-fi novels.

Read more