Recent upgrades lead to testing results that show Verizon customers have the best network experience in Durham
DURHAM, N.C., April 26, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Verizon has recently made major upgrades to the network serving customers in Durham, NC. These upgrades are part of a multi-year redesign of its network architecture to stay ahead of exponential data usage increases, upgrade the technology in the network, and to pave the way for personalized customer experiences. Network upgrades in Durham include deploying new cell sites to extend coverage and capacity in local communities. They also include adding more capacity on fiber optic cables to move more data through the network and adding bandwidth to the cellular network to accommodate new services like wireless internet service for homes and businesses. Specifics on the upgrades include:
- Verizon engineers have been aggressively deploying 5G Ultra Wideband throughout Durham. That coverage has been expanded recently with the addition of new macro cell sites and small cell sites. Customers around downtown Chapel Hill, the Duke University campus, UNC Kenan football stadium, and near the intersection of Junction and Cheek Rd near Chatham Steel Corporation and the Bull City Little League fields are now able to experience the speed and security of 5G Ultra Wideband service. Additionally a new macro site was built for coverage and capacity along the I-885 freeway connector linking I-40 and Toll NC 885. Also a site was built to improve coverage along Cole Mill Road and Umstead Road in the Eno River State Park vicinity. In the coming months, additional enhancements will be made to increase capacity near Northern High School as well as near North Carolina Central University and Dean Smith Arena to help manage the exponential increase in data usage Verizon is seeing from customers in those areas. Projects are underway to upgrade coverage and capacity in the Ninth St. area near Duke’s east campus as well.
- Durham’s exceptional 5G coverage uses a combination of mmWave spectrum and Verizon’s recently acquired C-band spectrum. Verizon engineers have been limited to using 60 MHz of C-band spectrum to deliver 5G service to customers. By the end of the year, customers in Durham will be able to take advantage of up to 160 MHz of spectrum as it becomes available for 5G Ultra Wideband, almost tripling the bandwidth available to customers. That additional bandwidth will turbo charge the service, offering significantly higher speeds, much greater capacity to accommodate more customers and more robust services.
- Lastly, the addition of 5G service and the many additional wireless solutions allow far more data to travel on the wireless network in Durham. That exponential increase in data carried into and out of the cell sites serving the community requires upgraded fiber optic cable links. Fiber optic cables are used to move data between cell sites and connect those sites to the rest of the network. Verizon has increased the capacity on the fiber connections in many cell sites in the Durham area so they can carry 10 times the amount of data.
“Whether our customers are enjoying connecting with friends and family while on the move, connecting their smart homes through one of our home internet products or using our service in Durham for small business or enterprise applications, we know customers count on us,” said Eric Lia, Vice President of Engineering and Operations for Verizon. “Our team has been working hard in Durham to deliver these results, and we are not slowing down.”
With these and other technology advancements on Verizon’s network, customers are able to use more data in more ways. This multi-service network powers:
- Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices that do very little networking and stay in place,
- smartphones with infinite opportunities to use data in a highly mobile environment,
- home and business internet which provides connectivity via the wireless network for homes, offices and retail environments, and
- complex solutions like Augmented Reality or enterprise real-time video and data analysis that require massive computing capabilities.
As 5G technology advances and is even more widely adopted by consumers the variety of solutions that will use Verizon’s network will continue to evolve as well.
Durham, NC customers have the best experience on Verizon’s network
The recent network upgrades have led to customers having the best experience on the Verizon network in Durham, NC, according to the nation’s most rigorous scientific testing company RootMetrics®. In the most recent test measuring performance of major wireless carriers throughout Durham, Verizon not only wins for overall network performance, but is unbeaten in the categories of accessibility, reliability and performance in texts and calls. Today’s results show great speeds for Verizon customers in Durham with Verizon’s median download speed increasing 71% and median upload speeds increasing 24% since last year* in the market and peak download speeds of up to 330 Mbps.
Services from the network customers rely on
For customers in Durham, the additional coverage and capacity means more customers now have access not only to reliable, fast mobile service, but also Verizon Home Internet service, a different kind of home internet with no data caps. It’s ideal for anyone who wants super fast connectivity to stream, game or even work remotely. Verizon Home Internet is reliable and fast enough to power home connected devices: smart TVs, tablets, phones, gaming consoles and more. Plans start at just $25 per month with AutoPay and a select 5G mobile plan – all without extra fees, equipment charges, annual contracts or data caps.** Go to verizon.com/home for availability. Visit verizon.com/deals For the latest 5G phones and accessories.
Additionally, through Verizon Frontline, the advanced network and technology developed over three decades of partnership with first responders to meet their unique and evolving needs, public safety agencies in the Durham area will also be able to experience the benefits of these network enhancements. To learn more about Verizon Frontline, visit verizon.com/frontline.
Durham area businesses have access to 5G Business Internet from Verizon. 5G Business Internet is ultra-fast wireless business internet powered by 5G Ultra Wideband. This wireless alternative to cable internet is for businesses of all sizes and includes self-setup or professional installation options, multiple pricing and service options, unlimited data, and a 10-year price guarantee (price guarantee excludes taxes and fees) for 5G Business Internet service. To learn more about Verizon 5G Business Internet, visit verizon.com/5gbusinessinternet and plug in an address to see what service is available.
*Rankings based on the RootMetrics® Durham RootScore® Report: 1H 2023. Tested with best commercially available smartphones on three mobile networks across all available network types. Your experiences may vary. The RootMetrics award is not an endorsement of Verizon.
**Verizon Home Internet includes 5G Home Internet and LTE Home Internet services, which are available in select areas. Save $25/mo. when combined with an existing 5G Do More, 5G Play More, 5G Get More or One Unlimited for iPhone plan. With Auto Pay and paper-free billing req’d. Add’l $10/mo. w/o Auto Pay. Subject to credit approval.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Karen Schulz
864.561.1527
Karen.schulz@verizonwireless.com
