Stephen Silver
The communications giant is considering either Apple or Google to serve as its provider for 5G video, according to a new report.
Verizon Communications is in talks with Apple and Google as potential partners when it launches home 5G service in a pair of California markets later this year, Bloomberg News reported Monday.
The report, citing "a person familiar with the situation," says that Verizon is expected to update its 5G plans during the company's quarterly earnings announcement on Tuesday. The partnership would be either with Apple TV or Google's YouTube TV, and may function as a temporary "showcase" for the technology, until Verizon is able to launch a video service itself.
Verizon's plan, according to the report, is to "beam online services to home receivers" at 5G speeds, and later compete with Comcast and AT&T's landline services. The service is expected to launch in Los Angeles and Sacramento, as well as two other cities, later this year.
Verizon had been working on an OTT TV service as of last year, but appears to have pulled back on that, according to the Bloomberg report.
The next stage in wireless networking, 5G, is beginning its rollout this year, although it is not expected to be available on the 2018 iPhone generation.
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10 Comments
This is baby steps at the moment, only slated for testing in 4 cities AFAIK, so no big loss for whoever Verizon chooses not to temporarily partner with. The most interesting part is the apparent pending launch of an Apple streaming service in the very near future that Verizon could use for the partnership. Otherwise there would be no reason for Apple to part of the conversation to begin with.
I wonder if this is more about Apple TVs with a Verizon app that gives access to VOD content?
100 bucks says they go without Google. Apple won’t give them access to the personal data Verizon will want for their ad platform.
I'm not sure whether to be excited about 5G or not yet. While the possibility of competition for the land-based ISPs is welcomed... how much competition will there really be? Will it drive prices down and services up?
But, 5G also looks like a pretty flaky technology. I don't want to move an inch and have the signal drop or junk like that. And, I'd rather not have 5G 'towers' littered all over the place either.