New 5G home internet available in some Bay Area neighborhoods

TAMPA, Fla. - Verizon is deploying a new type of residential wireless internet it says will change the game for anyone else not happy with traditional cable internet service. 

It’s called fixed wireless, which relies on certain 5G networks to bring Wi-Fi anywhere there’s a router.

"5G is something we have been working on here in Tampa for years," explained Verizon public relations representative Andrew Testa. 

He says Verizon invested $80 million ahead of last year’s Super Bowl to install 5G infrastructure in and around Tampa.

The company’s new home internet service requires a Wi-Fi 6 router, but all you have to do is plug it in. No additional cables are required. 

However, there’s a catch. First, there are two types of 5G, known as Sub-6 (slower, but more widely available), and mmWave (faster, but only in select areas).

T-Mobile's 5G mostly relies Sub-6, which is widespread in the U.S. after the company merged with Sprint.

Verizon turned on its Sub-6 network nationwide in January to provide 5G service to most of its customers. But in a few spots around the country, Verizon uses mmWave technology, which is what’s needed for the company’s new home internet service.

Either way, 5G has been hailed as a major technological breakthrough that will allow for speeds up to 10 times faster than 4G.

Verizon and T-Mobile provide online coverage maps of their 5G services.