Verizon has recently made major upgrades to the network serving customers in Shreveport as part of a multi-year redesign of its network architecture to stay ahead of exponential data usage increases, prepare for a massive 5G Ultra Wideband expansion, upgrade the technology in the network, and to pave the way for personalized customer experiences.
Network upgrades in Shreveport include deploying new cell sites to extend coverage and capacity in local communities. They also include preparing for the addition of 5G service using C-band spectrum, 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:
Verizon is deploying 5G service using Millimeter Wave (mmWave), its premium, high-band spectrum which allows for extremely fast speeds and massive capacity. Verizon has recently added 5G using mmWave spectrum to the residential area close to Boomtown Casino Hotel, the strip mall at the intersection of Knight St and highway 3032, a residential area near the Social Security Administration Office at the intersection of Dee ST and S Pointe Pkwy and a residential area by Captain Shreve High School.
Additionally, Verizon engineers built new towers providing additional 4G LTE service improving coverage and capacity at the Barksdale AFB Base which serves the base Main Exchange, Commissary, Headquarter offices, residential areas, the airfield and hangars. A second macro tower was deployed at the Intersection of Mansfield Rd and Hollywood Ave. This site improved coverage and capacity in multiple residential communities, Caddo Teachers Academy and Caddo Heights Math and Science School.
More upgrades on the horizon
Later this year, Verizon engineers will begin deploying 5G Ultra Wideband service using Verizon’s recently acquired C-band spectrum, designed to provide wide coverage for 5G service. In preparation for this massive 5G expansion, Verizon has increased the capacity on the fiber connections which are used to move data between cell sites and connect those sites to the rest of the network. With the anticipated addition of 5G service and the many additional wireless solutions 5G allows, far more data will travel on the wireless network in Shreveport, so the fiber upgrades will allow those cables to carry 10 times the amount of data.
In addition to the fiber upgrades and the preparation for massive 5G expansion in the market, engineers are making preparations to enhance the service by deploying leading edge, modernized technology in the area. Engineers are upgrading the hardware in many of the cell sites providing service throughout Shreveport 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.