The fifth U.S. city to receive Verizon’s 5G network will be Panama City, FL, a town that took the brunt of the recent hurricane that hit the state’s Panhandle. Following criticism from many parties, including Florida Governor Rick Scott and FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, the carrier hopes to “stabilize and strengthen” both its image and its network in Bay and Gulf County. Verizon said the $25 million investment it has budgeted for the area will mostly be spent in 2019. The carrier cited damaged fiber as the cause of the delay in restoring the ravaged area to connectivity, although fellow major carriers said they were not suffering the same problems.
“As the community rebuilds, Verizon will be … committing $25 million to build the most technologically advanced wireless network in the area. We will include 5G technology as part of that infrastructure,” Verizon spokesperson Kyle Malady said. “We look forward to working with the area’s public officials, businesses and economic development organizations, educational institutions, first responders, and the companies and customers who will benefit.”
The carrier is coming off of a strong Third Quarter earnings statement issued last week where per share increased and wireless revenue earnings, at $23 billion, were up 6.5 percent from a year ago.
October 29, 2018
