Data usage on Verizon's 5G Ultra Wideband network has increased 249%

NEW YORK - As consumers experience the lightning fast speeds of Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband service and as enterprise and small business customers see the value in the scalability and flexibility of the advanced technology, data usage on the new service continues to climb. Since January of 2021, data usage on Verizon's 5G Ultra Wideband network has increased 249%. To meet that growing demand, in 2022, Verizon plans to deliver about 175 million POPs by year end, and will deliver at least 250 million POPs by the end of 2024.

5G Ultra Wideband customers are seeing ultra-fast wireless speeds, up to 4 Gbps in some places, allowing them to download and stream movies and TV shows in seconds, videoconference and collaborate remotely in near real time, and take advantage of new immersive customer experiences never before available wirelessly. Enterprise customers are now enjoying greater access to the technology that can dramatically accelerate their digital transformation, revolutionizing how they interact with their customers, track inventory, manage operations and engage with their workforce.

“As the world continues to transition toward increased connectivity, we are playing a critical part in building and expanding this technologically advanced platform,” said Kyle Malady EVP and President, Global Networks and Technology. “We are leading the way in meeting the demand for fast, reliable connections for both consumers and businesses, and the demand for this service is only accelerating.”

Rapid 5G adoption is a result of the company’s network-as-a-service foundation and is reflected in its core vectors of growth and innovation across mobility, nationwide broadband, mobile edge compute and business solutions, the value market and network monetization.

Customers using Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband are already seeing peak speeds in the gigabit range and are reaping the benefits of the massive capacity of this network, especially in gathering places like arenas and convention centers. The massive capacity of 5G Ultra Wideband leads to more opportunities across the board, including accommodating massively large crowds at sporting and entertainment events where data usage is typically in extremely high demand. As Verizon gets access to additional spectrum, the speeds and capacity on the 5G Ultra Wideband service will continue to grow, and customers in more parts of the country will reap the benefits.

Fastest growing states

Far over-indexing the average national growth of 279%, a few states have led the way in driving the data growth average up. Since January of 2021, usage in Maryland has grown by 1631%, Delaware by 1526%, Pennsylvania by 859%, New Jersey by 779% and Virginia by 744%.

States that use the most 5G Ultra Wideband data

While Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Virginia are growing their usage quickly, they can’t catch the states that are currently using the most 5G Ultra Wideband data (as of April 2022). In order, those states are: California, Indiana, Illinois, Arizona, Texas, Michigan, Florida, Minnesota, Nevada, and Ohio.

States quickest to switch from 4G to 5G

Residents and visitors in Nevada lead the pack in switching data use from 4G to 5G with more than a quarter of their data being used over 5G service. They are closely trailed by (in order) Indiana (20%), Minnesota (20%), Arizona (17%), Illinois (15%) and Michigan (14%).

These adoption and growth rates demonstrate the high demand for 5G Ultra Wideband service and with 5G phone penetration continuing to grow, Verizon expects usage to climb sharply. 5G phone penetration will be over 60% by 2023 and greater than 80% by 2025 - The fastest adoption of new technology of any G so far.

To meet that growing demand, in 2022, Verizon plans to deliver about 175 million POPs by year end, and will deliver at least 250 million POPs by the end of 2024.