Verizon is expanding its 5G service, at least for those who travel internationally. On Monday, the mobile giant announced that it had signed a contract with South Korean mobile operator LG U Plus to allow visitors to use South Korea's 5G abroad.
Verizon says travelers can use the 3.5 GHz medium-band 5G network in South Korea, which, according to the US carrier, tested in its tests average download speeds of 252 Mbit / s and upload speeds of 119 Mbit / s .
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Verizon says a "compatible device" is needed, although it is unclear whether the operator's current 5G portfolio can use international roaming or whether users need a newer 5G device.
CNET has asked Verizon for more information and will update it when they respond.
Users also need a compatible unlimited Verizon 5G plan at home to use 5G abroad. Verizon is currently charging $ 10 a day for a TravelPass to use your phone internationally. However, this slows down high-speed data after half a gigabyte has been used.
The home country of Samsung and LG, South Korea, is considered one of the leading countries in the delivery of 5G. According to a report by the research company OpenSignal in June, the country's three largest mobile operators - KT, LG U Plus and SK Telecom - had 7 million customers with 5G, compared to 6.3 million users at the end of April.
While most people are currently staying at home, the announcement is the first time that a U.S. airline has signed a roaming agreement to allow 5G to be used abroad.
Verizon, which plans to launch a nationwide low-band network in the US later this year to support its high-frequency 5G millimeter wave offering, says preparations for 5G roaming trials with other countries are "underway" .
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