Bad News: Verizon Announces Data Caps for All 5G Hotspots

Bad News: Verizon Announces Data Caps for All 5G Hotspots

Verizon is making the switch to a new C-band based 5G network, but it comes at a price. Verizon's unlimited data plan included unlimited hotspot data on mmWave 5G, but the new plan announced this week as part of Verizon's upcoming C-band launch will be capped.

Verizon confirmed the move with an explanation to PCMag. Verizon's first mmWave network could handle devices using up to 800 MHz at a time, while C-band can handle a much lower 60 Hz. Verizon is calling the new network Ultra Wideband (UWB) and has placed a 50GB limit on the hotspot allocation for new 5G plans to compensate for the capacity reduction. Once this limit is reached, the capacity will drop to 3 Mbps for UWB and 600 Kbps for nationwide 5G/LTE.

If you rely on your phone for home Internet, Verizon has two options: 5G Home and 5G Home Plus. the C-band rollout will allow Big Red to offer a new 5G-based home Internet service (different from the Fios brand) with no data cap. The 5G Home Internet service coverage area will be expanded incrementally, potentially providing consumers with new fast and reliable home Internet solutions. According to Verizon, users with a 5G UWB wireless plan for cellular will receive a 50% discount on one of the two new home Internet plans.

C-band will augment the mmWave-based UWB network to provide faster, more reliable speeds to customers in more locations. mmWave, the best experience is within tower sight. So while Verizon boasts the fastest transmission speeds available, it is difficult for most people to access the signal. Also, the quality of the signal is significantly degraded indoors, and C-band may help solve this problem.

The C-band rollout will cover an additional 1,700 cities, essentially serving more than 100 million people. Verizon's previous mmWave-based ultra-wideband network was available in about 87 cities. Verizon claims that the new network will be 10 times faster than LTE, up to 1 Gbps. In other words, the best 5G phones will benefit greatly. For many, the new 5G network should be noticeably faster than LTE. [Verizon and AT&T will launch their C-band network on January 19 after agreeing to delay the launch due to objections from the Federal Aviation Administration, which is concerned that C-band will interfere with some aircraft safety systems.

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