5G wireless spectrum expected to roll out in 2019 and 2020
The next technological wave of the future is promising to provide ultra-high speed connectivity for hundreds of millions mobile phone users in the U.S.
5G is the fifth generation of cellular mobile broadband that will ultimately replace 4G LTE to provide faster and more reliable service with lower latency.
Cox Communications is one of the major cable companies looking into the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) first auction of the new 5G wireless spectrum race.
“A wireless network is only as valuable as the wireline network that connects it,” Cox Communications President Pat Esser said during an exclusive interview with FOX Business’ Liz Claman Tuesday.
The FCC announced in November 2018 the agency’s first high-band 5G spectrum auction to sell off licenses that allows wireless networks to start building out their networks.
“We are obviously looking into what spectrum is available and does it make sense us,” Esser said.
AT&T, Dish, T-Mobile and Verizon are among the wireless carriers bidding for the millimeter-wave spectrum bands.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T | AT&T INC. | 23.16 | -0.11 | -0.47% |
| DISH | NO DATA AVAILABLE | - | - | - |
| VZ | VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC. | 44.34 | -0.04 | -0.09% |
5G technology will provide users with the capabilities to browse the internet, upload or download videos and use apps at faster speeds. For example, a six minute movie download on 4G technology will only take 17 seconds on 5G.
Esser said mobile carriers may face economic challenges in order to boost wireless signals expected to be at least 100 times faster than current 4G networks.
“They will have to deploy eight to ten times the number of cell towers to be able to deploy a more of mass market product,” he said from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
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Esser, who celebrates 40 years at Cox Communications, said the company is laying out a roadmap to upgrade cable TV broadband networks with 10-gigabit-per-second chips.
“This year we began to delivering 1 gig residential broadband services to our customers’ homes and we are committed to deliver 10 gig residential broadband services to our customers’ homes,” he said. “It’ll bring lower latency, more capacity, higher speeds, better security.”
Many companies are expected to roll out 5G technology in 2019 and 2020 with the capability of reaching customers that do not currently have access to 4G.