Verizon has asked for a six-month extension of its current fixed wireless 5G tests in several US towns and cities from the FCC.

Verizon Wireless has asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to extend its license to conduct "a market trial of equipment consisting of fixed base stations and mobile terminals operating in the 28 GHz band." The agency has not yet approved the request. The tests would continue from December 3 until June 3 in 2018 if the extension is approved.

The trials are taking place in Bernardsville, NJ; Brockton, Mass.; Cypress, Texas; Houston, Texas; and Natick, Mass. Verizon says it will be testing 80 units overall, from "various" manufacturers. Verizon hasn't said which vendors yet, but Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Korea: SEC) has just gained approval to test 6 28GHz basestations in Cypress, Texas.

Verizon has been holding multiple fixed trials with its home-brewed 5GTF specification. It is planning to start 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) -based 5G New Radio trials in 2018. (See Verizon Migrating From Homebrew 5G, Enlists Qualcomm for Trials.)

The extension request suggests that Verizon will be testing right up to the wire before it deploys its fixed 5G services. CFO Matt Ellis said last month that the fixed wireless service will be coming in 2018. (See Verizon Says Fixed 5G Will Happen in 2018, Less Clear on Mobile.)

— Dan Jones, Mobile Editor, Light Reading