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<\/a><\/p>\nIf Verizon charges this much now, just imagine if 5G was widely available.<\/h3>\n
JON BRODKIN
\nArs Technica<\/p>\n
Verizon’s 5G mobile service is available in just a handful of cities, but the carrier is charging premium prices to the few people who live in range of the network.<\/p>\n
Verizon yesterday\u00a0announced<\/a> its first 5G hotspot, namely the Inseego MiFi M1000 that Verizon is selling for $650. On top of the device cost, the monthly fees for 5G service will be higher than 4G even though Verizon’s 5G network barely exists.<\/p>\n Verizon said hotspot-only plans “start at $85 a month (plus taxes and fees).” Verizon describes the $85-per-month hotspot plan as “unlimited” when you go through the online checkout process. But the fine print states that customers get 50GB of high-speed 5G data, and 5G speeds are reduced to 3Mbps after that. The plan treats 5G and 4G data separately; it provides 15GB of high-speed 4G data and slows users down to 600kbps after that. Verizon allows 4K video streaming on 5G, while limiting video on the 4G network to 720p.<\/p>\n The carrier noted that the $85 monthly price is “only a $10 increase over 4G LTE service.” But the 5G device’s $650 price is three to four times higher than Verizon’s\u00a0Jetpack hotspots<\/a>, and the extra $10 a month provides access to a 5G network that exists only in five cities: Chicago; Denver; Minneapolis; Providence, Rhode Island; and St. Paul, Minnesota. Verizon says it will have 5G service in 30 cities by the end of this year.<\/p>\n Early reviews<\/a>\u00a0of Verizon’s 5G service found spotty coverage, so even in those five cities your 5G hotspot might frequently drop down to 4G. Verizon has\u00a0said<\/a>\u00a0its 5G users “should expect typical download speeds of 450Mbps, with peak speeds of above 1.5Gbps and latency less than 30 milliseconds.”<\/p>\n No-contract options for\u00a0buying<\/a>\u00a0the 5G hotspot include paying $650 up front or $27.08 a month over 24 months. The device is discounted to $499.99 if you also sign a two-year contract. There’s a $40 activation fee, which is discounted to $20 if you buy through VZW.com or the My Verizon app.<\/p>\n There are also hotspot-service plans for people who already have Verizon smartphone service. “Verizon consumer customers with an active Unlimited smartphone plan can add a 5G MiFi M1000 to their account and get 50GB of 5G Ultra Wideband data and 15GB of 4G LTE data for $30 a month (plus taxes and fees), an increase of only $10 over 4G LTE service rates,” Verizon said.<\/p>\n Besides the hotspot, Verizon also sells\u00a05G-enabled phones<\/a>\u00a0from LG, Samsung, and Motorola.<\/p>\n Verizon’s first stab at 5G pricing a few months ago also involved a\u00a0$10 premium over 4G plans<\/a>. Verizon\u00a0temporarily dropped that extra fee<\/a>\u00a0after complaints about its sparse 5G coverage, but that reprieve didn’t last long as Verizon has resurrected the $10 up-charge model.<\/p>\n$30 plan for customers adding a line<\/h2>\n