Verizon Paying Satellite Operators to Accelerate C-Band Use for 5G

Verizon said Monday it has reached agreements for early clearance of the C band, allowing it to deploy 5G Ultra Wideband this year in “at least 30 additional major markets” including Atlanta, Baltimore, Denver and Washington, D.C. “The guts of the network must manage the additional capacity, support the additional speeds, and support the additional intelligence and programmability needed for customers to take advantage of the advanced performance of 5G,” said Kyle Malady, Verizon president-global network and technology: “In my career with Verizon, I have never experienced a network deployment move so quickly.” Verizon will pay SES up to $170 million to accelerate the clearing of C-band spectrum, SES said Monday. The agreement “will see SES expand Verizon’s access to the 3700-3800 MHz block in certain markets beyond the 46 Partial Economic Areas cleared in Phase I and earlier than the Phase II accelerated relocation deadline,” the company said. SES will install filters and other equipment at about 500 sites this year, “comparable to the activities executed during Phase I,” and receive an extra payment from Verizon “subject to delivering the clearing on a timeline agreed to by the parties.” Verizon is the first national carrier to rapidly deploy in the C-band, an important part of its 5G strategy (see 2201310061).