Verizon’s VP of network support, Mike Haberman, has revealed that the carrier will start deploying license-assisted access technology nationwide by upgrading cell sites over the next several months with LAA radios: a mix of licensed and unlicensed spectrum will be utilized to achieve gigabit speeds over existing LTE technology. New phones are required to take full advantage of this upgrade.



Most Verizon subscribers don’t have a smartphone that supports these technologies, but that doesn’t mean they can’t benefit from the network upgrades. Haberman said smartphones enabled by Qualcomm’s X16 modem will leverage Verizon’s network enhancements to “get on and off the network faster,” leaving more capacity for other users. If enough subscribers in an area have capable phones, all users should benefit. Right now there are just two smartphones on the market that support these technologies: the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the Moto Z2 Force Edition.

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Source: [H]ardOCP – Verizon Is Rolling Out Real-World Gigabit LTE in the Coming Months