Verizon announced plans to expand 5G ultra-broadband to 1,700 U.S. cities in January

Verizon announced today (January 4, local time) that it plans to expand its 5G ultra-broadband technology to more than 100 million people in 1,700 cities in the United States, and that it provides 5G speeds that are 10 times faster than 4G LTE speeds – up to 1 gigabit per second. According to Verizon, nearly 1 in 3 Americans will live in areas with faster 5G speeds, and while the technology will reach 1700 cities, it's worth noting that it will be limited to specific areas.

Apple's 5GiPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models can take advantage of Verizon's 5G ultra-broadband technology, but they need to participate in a suitable Verizon package. Not all Verizon packages include 5G ultra-broadband speeds.

Ahead of the 5G ultra-broadband expansion, Verizon is updating its unlimited phone plans. Starting Jan. 5, the 5G Get More, 5G Play More, and 5G Do More plans will offer up to 10x speeds, and its highest-level package, 5G Get More, now has unlimited premium data. Its previous cap was 50GB per month. Lower-level plans will not include the fastest 5G connection speeds.

When Verizon announced expansion of 5G, both AT&T and Verizon agreed to delay the rollout of C-band spectrum, which would allow for faster speeds to be rolled out. The FAA asked mobile phone carriers to postpone deployment until Jan. 19, after previously asking them to postpone deployment until Jan. 5.

The new protocol was introduced to ensure very little disruption to aviation operations when deploying C-band spectrum, as it would give the FAA and FCC more time to prepare. AT&T and Verizon initially objected to further delaying the C-band deployment, which had already been delayed by a month, but they agreed to delay it for another two weeks. AT&T and Verizon have been assured that they will be allowed to deploy their new 5G wireless networks later this month.