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Verizon rolls out 5G to 19 more US venues

US telecommunications company Verizon has announced the addition of 19 new stadiums and arenas to the list of venues that employ its 5G Ultra Wideband network.

Verizon released the news as part of a wider announcement concerning the expanding coverage of its 5G service in the US. The list of new stadiums and arenas with access to Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network include Citi Field, home of Major League Baseball (MLB) team the New York Mets; FedExForum and Golden 1 Center, which house NBA basketball franchises the Memphis Grizzles and Sacramento Kings, respectively; and NFL American football team the Green Bay Packers’ Lambeau Field.

The Packers’ fellow NFL teams Los Angeles Rams and Chargers (SoFi Stadium), New Orleans Saints (Mercedes-Benz Superdome) and Arizona Cardinals (State Farm Stadium) will also have 5G-enabled venues; along with MLB team Cleveland Indians’ Progressive Field and Major League Soccer (MLS) club New York Red Bulls’ Red Bull Arena.

In total, this now means 43 stadiums and arenas in the US feature Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network. Verizon said that until these venues are filled to capacity again, 5G Ultra Wideband has the potential to bring in-stadium experiences to fans at home.

Customers using new iPhone 12 models on Verizon’s 5G network will also have access to a new experience from the NFL. Available exclusively for a limited time to Verizon customers on the new 5G iPhone 12, Verizon 5G SuperStadium seeks to bring fans closer to the action to engage in select NFL games from up to seven different camera angles on the field.

Hans Vestberg, Verizon CEO, said: “We were first in the world to 5G and we are continuing to drive 5G forward. Our job, our passion, is to push the boundaries of what’s possible, to bring the ecosystem together and to create experiences consumers and enterprises never even knew they needed or wanted.

“From the start, our focus has been on building a transformational 5G network that will drastically reshape society. This announcement brings us one step closer to that future.”

Verizon last week continued its 5G drive in the stadium and arena market by partnering with technology firm Cisco in a venture designed to aid the safe return of fans to venues. Verizon Business and Cisco are working together to offer solutions combining Verizon’s 5G network and 5G Edge, a mobile computing platform for businesses, to provide a safer in-person experience.

Verizon has been prolific of late in signing 5G-related partnerships with sports leagues, teams and venues. Verizon last week followed up its recent partnership with the NHL ice hockey league by signing a multi-year deal with the New Jersey Devils and the team’s Prudential Center arena.

In February, US stock car racing organisation NASCAR agreed a multi-year partnership with Verizon under which the company will boost connectivity at its circuits. In July, Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), the highest-capacity sports venue in the world, debuted a number of new features, including 5G connectivity courtesy of Verizon and a huge new Pagoda Plaza Media Wall.

In March 2019, American football league the NFL signed a two-year innovation partnership with Verizon to develop new products and services that utilise 5G technology. This has led to a number of NFL stadia receiving 5G upgrades, including the Miami Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium ahead of its staging of this year’s Super Bowl.