Scalper1 News
After Verizon Communications ( VZ ) again trumpeted plans to deploy 5G wireless services vs. cable TV and other phone companies in the residential broadband market, Comcast ( CMCSA ) on its Q1 earnings call said it’s not fretting. Both Verizon and AT&T ( T ) have recently touted 5G speeds up to 1 gigabit per second. That’s roughly 50 times faster than the average speed of today’s top 4G mobile phone networks, in good conditions. At a meeting with sell-side analysts on Monday, Verizon said it’s aiming to deploy early-stage 5G service in a couple of markets as soon as next year, and have a commercial fixed-wireless residential product ready before 2020. Asked about Verizon’s plans on Comcast’s Q1 earnings call on Wednesday, Comcast CFO Mike Cavanagh said: “5G is an exciting new platform, and it’s still in the very early days. We think that the propagation distance is fairly short, about a 300-foot radius. The antennas are going to need space and power and backhaul, and … the spectrum doesn’t really pass through objects like trees and buildings very well.” The Federal Communications Commission in October opened a study looking at 28, 37, 39 and 60 GHz as the primary frequency bands for 5G. Most wireless phone services today use radio frequency below 3 GHz. In the late 1990s, several startups (WinStar, Teligent, Nextlink) attempted to commercialize products relying on high-frequency airwaves. When the tech bubble burst in 2000-01, the startups perished. Verizon has said this time will be different because of improved antenna technology and other factors, as IBD has reported. Comcast says if 5G fixed wireless takes off, it’ll could be a player, too. “We think we’re very well-positioned,” added Cavanagh. “We’re going to continue to monitor. It’s still early in the game.” Boosting signal strength at higher frequencies is a challenge for wireless firms. Low-frequency airwaves travel over long distances and through walls, improving in-building service. Colby Synesael, an analyst at Cowen & Co., said in a research report Tuesday that “mass deployment of residential fixed wireless has been an elusive last-mile aspiration for carriers for more than a decade.” Scalper1 News
Scalper1 News