For the first time ever, Indianapolis has a 5G network-enabled home.
Verizon employees installed the equipment in a home in the Bates-Hendricks neighborhood on Oct. 1. Indianapolis is one of only four cities around the country to have a 5G network. Representatives from Verizon says it’s the world’s first commercial 5G broadband internet service ever.
In order to get 5G into a home, Verizon first had to install a small 5G cell tower on the corner nearby. That tower transmits download speeds of about 1 Gbps. In comparison, homes with cable internet right now usually reach speeds of about 300-500 Mbps. Tami Erwin, Verizon’s vice president of operations says it has the power to change the way a city like Indianapolis operates.
“For the city, it’s a big deal,” said Erwin. “We have been working very closely with the mayor’s office to say how do we bring technology to the city to begin to do things like smart cities? How do you manage traffic? How do you think about education, how do you think about health care and the changes that healthcare will enable? This mayor has been very committed to recognizing and understanding that technology enables jobs and with jobs enables the economic growth that Indianapolis has enjoyed today.”
Verizon says they are working with more than 300 schools to provide about $400 million to infuse tech in education. They say it starts with the 4G network and then schools will be upgraded to 5G, once it’s ready.
Expect to see 5G towers start popping up more and more around the Indianapolis. A receiver on a home needs to be relatively close in order for you to get the 1 Gbps download speeds.
