Networking News

WATCH: Sprint Says It’ll Be The Only Carrier To Deploy A ‘True’ Mobile 5G Network Nationwide At XCH19

At XChange 2019, solution providers expressed excitement and confusion over what’s to come with 5G.

“It will be capable of a lot, but we don’t know what yet,” said Brian Ruschman, president of CForward, an MSP specializing in cloud and networking with headquarters in Kentucky.

Carriers say 5G is capable of huge technological advancements, everything from autonomous vehicles to smart cities. In October, Verizon turned on 5G services in five U.S. cities, including Sacramento, CA, home to HSB Solutions. And, while its rollout reportedly covers less than 10 percent of that city, HSB’s President Chad Hodges remains excited about its future.

“I think the sky is the limit in terms of what we will be able to do with it when you start to be able to do livestream video over the air, it’s pretty exciting to see what can come out of that,” said Hodges. HSB is a networking services company providing resources for government information technology projects.

At XChange, Sprint confirmed plans to unveil its 5G in May. Ryan Yahrmatter, Sprint’s Head of Channel Sales, told solution providers that its network will differ from competitors with its reach and reliability. And to bring it to market, the carrier will be relying heavily – and sometimes exclusively – on its channel partners.

“Sprint will be the only network who will be able to truly deploy a mobile 5G network across the entire U.S.,” said Yahrmatter. “We will eventually completely eliminate latency, so when you think about business outcomes like smart cities and autonomous vehicles, those will be defined by who can deploy that network most effectively across a wide area – not just a neighborhood.”

For more coverage on Sprint’s 5G message at XChange, check out CRNtv’s video included in this article.