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Verizon announces 5G roll-out at 13 NFL venues

US telecoms giant Verizon has announced the 13 NFL stadia that have been fitted with its new 5G wireless service ahead of the new season of the American football league.

Verizon is building what it claims is the most powerful 5G network in America and by bringing the technology to stadia it hopes to provide fans with access to higher capacity, faster download speeds and lower latency.

Verizon announced today (Thursday) that the following stadia are live with 5G Ultra Wideband: Bank of America Stadium (Carolina Panthers), Empower Field at Mile High (Denver Broncos), CenturyLink Field (Seattle Seahawks), Ford Field (Detroit Lions), Gillette Stadium (New England Patriots), Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Dolphins), Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis Colts), MetLife Stadium (New York Giants and New York Jets, pictured), M&T Bank Stadium (Baltimore Ravens), NRG Stadium (Houston Texans), Soldier Field (Chicago Bears) and U.S. Bank Stadium (Minnesota Vikings).

Verizon had previously confirmed that Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the Atlanta Falcons, would feature 5G technology.

5G service will be concentrated in parts of the seating areas but could also be available in other locations in and around the stadium. When guests with 5G-enabled smartphones move outside of Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband coverage area, the devices will transition the signal to Verizon’s network.

In some cities, the NFL stadium will be the only place with Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband service.

The NFL entered into a two-year innovation partnership with Verizon in March. The agreement will see the two parties develop products that use 5G and other future technologies to enhance NFL games and improve the overall fan experience.

Verizon chief executive Hans Vestberg said: “Today’s announcement is a key moment in our partnership with the NFL. We’re proud to work with such an iconic organisation to bring Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband service to fans across the country. Verizon 5G is fundamentally changing the way we live, work and play, and we expect the impact on the sports entertainment industry to be massive – it promises to revolutionise the entire game-day experience for fans.”

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell added: “As we celebrate the NFL’s 100th season we look forward to the day when Verizon will have their 5G Ultra Wideband service in the stadiums for all 32 NFL clubs. Having this cutting-edge technology in our stadiums will greatly enhance the game-day experience and bring a multitude of benefits to our fans and clubs in a number of different ways.”

Image: Anthony Quintano