Verizon to debut 5G wireless field tests

CNET is reporting that Verizon will be the "first to field-test crazy-fast 5G wireless."

The carrier says it expects "some level of commercial deployment" to begin by 2017 for next-generation wireless -- "much earlier than the common industry belief that 2020 will mark the start" for 5G deployments, as noted by CNET's Roger Cheng. "The trials would make Verizon the world's first carrier to seriously move into 5G," adds Cheng.

Cheng's analysis continues, "It also represents an initial step toward the broader telecom industry radically transforming wireless service by adding significantly higher speed and responsiveness. Just as the move to today's 4G wireless technology drove an explosion of smartphone adoption and mobile services, 5G could similarly drive its own tech revolution."

"The future is going to bring more stuff that I can't really describe," commented Roger Gurnani, chief information and technology architect for Verizon, in an interview with CNET. "We can't possibly envision the full range of disruptive products and services. But we have some possibilities."

Verizon's tests have shown a connection speed for 5G wireless that is 30 to 50 times faster than the current 4G network -- or higher speeds than what Google Fiber offers through a direct physical connection into the home, Gurnani noted.

Full story: Verizon to be first to field-test crazy-fast 5G wireless (cnet.com)