Verizon announced that the company now connects nearly 48% of its cell sites with its own deployed fiber-optic cables, and is on track to reach about 50% by the end of this year, allowing Verizon wireless customers to take full advantage of Verizon’s peak speeds and robust service offerings.
As noted by a statement from the operator:
"If networks are the oxygen of the digital era, fiber optic cables would be its central nervous system. Fiber networks play a largely unseen, but essential role in connectivity, enabling ultra-high capacity, speed and low latency data transfer for 4G LTE and 5G networks. Equally unheralded is fiber’s role as the backbone of IP and virtualized networks that streamline operations, reduce operating costs and improve agility for network providers, businesses and consumers alike."
Verizon notes that it recently embarked on a multi-year journey to deploy tens of thousands of miles of fiber with the goal of providing backhaul fiber connection to about 50% of its cell sites by the end of 2022.
As stated by Verizon, "Owning and operating the fiber that carries customer data from the cell site throughout the rest of the network allows the company to meet changing capacity needs rapidly, control upgrades and repairs to fiber cables and electronics immediately, as well as add security, control and reliability into network operations."
Not only has Verizon deployed fiber that now serves nearly 48% of its cell sites, but the company further announced that it is significantly increasing the capacity that its fiber network can manage.
For instance, in June of this year, Verizon announced that data traffic on its 5G Ultra Wideband network had already increased 249% -- and the company expects continued increases, as more customers adopt the new technology.
To meet that growing demand, Verizon said it "is supercharging the core of its fiber network by upgrading older router equipment with new equipment, capable of utilizing the latest 400 Gbps per port optical technology."
When the overhaul of its fiber core network is complete, Verizon said it will be able to manage 115 Tbps of data (i.e. "the equivalent of almost 24 billion streaming songs," according to the company) at any given moment.
This equipment will be upgradeable to 230 Tbps in coming years, providing scalability and increased reliability in its service, added Verizon. The fiber network upgrades will significantly increase the bandwidth needed to support wireless, home internet, enterprise, small business and the company's FIOS customers, Verizon's statement concluded.