Recent upgrades result in testing outcomes that show customers have an outstanding experience on the Verizon network

ALLENTOWN, Pa., June 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Verizon has recently made major upgrades to the network serving customers in Allentown, PA. 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 Allentown 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:

• Engineers have deployed 5G Ultra Wideband service using Millimeter Wave (mmWave), its premium, high-band spectrum which allows for extremely fast speeds and massive capacity as well as C-band spectrum designed for fast speeds, high capacity and wide coverage. With the recent deployments and upgrades, more than 82% of people in Allentown now have access to 5G service from Verizon. Verizon Engineers have deployed 5G Ultra Wideband service using its C-band spectrum designed for high capacity and wide coverage. Most notably, Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband service has recently expanded to areas in Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton, and Warren.
• In the Carbon County area, Tri-State upgraded the service in Jim Thorpe, where tourists enjoy white water rafting on the Lehigh River through Lehigh Gorge State Park. Lehighton borough residents and Route 209 will benefit from the C-Band additions too.
• Lehigh County:
  • The Boyer Pond area now has a new macro cell site that includes C-Band to cover Route 145, the residential area, and Laurys Firehouse Park.
  • 5G service using C-band spectrum was added to cover:
    • Downtown Allentown to provide better service to area residents, businesses, and the Allentown Fairgrounds.
    • A shopping district near Lehigh & Vultee Streets
    • A few sites in Emmaus covering residential areas, including the High School and I-476.
    • In Northern Lehigh County, covering I-78 on the Eastern side near interchanges 78 & 22, I-78 from the Route 100 interchange to the Route 22 split, and the industrial & commercial business complexes along I-78.
    • In Southern Lehigh County, covering I-476 and Rte. 222.
    • In the Bethlehem area, covering Route 378 on the Eastern side of Northampton & the surrounding residential population.
    • Route 309, Southern Lehigh Middle & High Schools, and the residents in Upper Saucon Township.
    • I-78 and the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley
• In Northampton County, 5G service using C-band spectrum was added in:
  • The Crayola Factory, downtown Easton, Centre Square at the cross of Northampton & North 3rd Streets, and Lafayette College.
  • In West Easton, covering the residential & shopping areas and the Easton Area High School.
  • I-78 from Morgan Hill Road to Easton Road.
  • SteelStacks, the former Bethlehem Steel Plant, residents near the Lehigh & Keystone Valley Model Railroad Museum, and Lehigh University & the surrounding community.
  • Route 191 in Washington Township
• Allentown’s exceptional 5G coverage uses a combination of mmWave spectrum and Verizon’s recently acquired C-band spectrum. Verizon engineers are using 60 MHz of C-band spectrum to deliver 5G service to customers. By the end of the year, customers in Allentown will be able to take advantage of nearly twice that amount of spectrum as it becomes available for 5G Ultra Wideband.  That additional bandwidth will turbo charge the service, offering significantly higher speeds, much greater capacity to accommodate more customers and more robust services
• Even as engineers provide wireless service in more places, they are also enhancing the service by deploying leading edge, modernized technology in the area. Engineers have upgraded the hardware in many of the cell sites providing service throughout Allentown adding capacity for more data to be used by customers, providing power efficiency, and providing virtualization. This technology milestone allows Verizon to rapidly respond to customers’ varied latency and computing needs, and provides greater flexibility and agility in the introduction of new products and services. The move to a cloud-based, virtualized architecture with standardized interfaces in every part of the network leads to greater flexibility, faster delivery of services, greater scalability, and improved cost efficiency in networks.
• Lastly, the addition of 5G service and the many additional wireless solutions allow far more data to travel on the wireless network in Allentown. 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 Allentown area so they can carry 10 times the amount of data. 

“We know customers count on us, and we work every day to ensure we deliver for them. Our reliable, secure network connects families, friends, homes and businesses in Allentown, PA with best-in-class 5G Ultra Wideband technology,” said Kevin Smith, Vice President of Engineering and Operations for Verizon.

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 countless 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.

Allentown, PA customers have an outstanding experience on Verizon’s network

The recent network upgrades have led to customers having an outstanding experience on the Verizon network in Allentown, PA, according to the nation’s most rigorous scientific testing company RootMetrics®. In the most recent test measuring performance of major wireless carriers throughout Allentown, Verizon was unbeaten for overall performance and, in fact, was unbeaten in every single category measured including reliability, speed, accessibility, and data, text and call performance. Today’s results show great speeds for Verizon customers in Allentown with Verizon’s median download speed increasing 143% and median upload speed increasing 67% since last year in the market.*

Services from the network customers rely on

For customers in Allentown, 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 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 Auto Pay and select 5G mobile plans – all without hidden fees, 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 Allentown area will also be able to experience the benefits of these network enhancements.  To learn more about Verizon Frontline, visit verizon.com/frontline.  

Allentown area businesses have access to 5G Business Internet from Verizon. 5G Business Internet is incredibly 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® AllentownRootScore® 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. Plans start at $25/mo. when combined with a postpaid mobile unlimited plan that includes 5G Ultra Wideband. Auto Pay and paper-free billing req’d. Subject to credit approval.

MEDIA CONTACT:Karen Schulz864.561.1527Karen.schulz@verizonwireless.com