More 5G Talk the Talk:

5G networks will provide speeds that could compete with landline service inside homes, but it’s not yet known whether wireless telecos could profit from offering the service, Verizon Communications Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo told an investor conference Tuesday.   Mr. Shammo spoke at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom Conference, which was also webcast.

Verizon has been experimenting with 5G technology from multiple vendors in five different markets where the FCC gave the company permission to use 28 GHz spectrum for trial purposes. Based on what Verizon has learned, Shammo said the company believes 5G service could be launched in 2017 if spectrum were available.  

Author’s Note:  Brilliant!  Deploy 5G service in 2017 when the standards won’t be completed till the end of 2020!

“We’re trying to accelerate the FCC to clear spectrum,” Shammo said. He added that FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler recently visited Verizon’s location in Basking Ridge, N.J. – one of the places where the 5G technology has been deployed.

Shammo noted that when wireless carriers upgraded from 3G to 4G technology, costs decreased four- to five-fold (presumably on a per-bit basis). 5G has the potential to provide a similar cost advantage over 4G technology – at least with regard to video delivery, he said.

Separately, Shammo said:

• Verizon might sell data centers to raise cash to “do something else to increase shareholder value.” 

• The take rates for Verizon Custom TV have increased to about 40% since the company rebundled the offering – an increase from a previous level of about one-third
• There’ll be more conflicts between content and linear video providers — and more channels being dropped from video service provider lineups. He believes Verizon’s Go90 offering gives the company negotiating power with content providers, though, because Go90 offers an additional way to monetize content

Reference

http://www.verizon.com/about/investors/morgan-stanley-technology-media-and-telecom-conference-2016