Motorola and Verizon Wireless say they’ve successfully completed a 5G NR data transmission test between the Moto Z3 paired with a 5G Moto Mod and Verizon’s network.
Motorola announced the Moto Z3 for Verizon in August along with a Moto Mod capable of adding 5G to the Z3. While the Z3 went on sale over the summer, Motorola and Verizon said the 5G Moto Mod wouldn’t arrive until 2019.
The test demonstrates that the Mod does indeed bring 5G service to what Motorola and Verizon marketed as the “first 5G upgradeable phone.”
The companies performed this test in Providence, R.I., using Verizon’s 28 GHz spectrum. The 5G Moto Mod relies on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X50 5G modem with QTM052 mmWave antennas.
The companies used the publicly available Motorola Moto Z3. Motorola says the Moto Z3 will be the “first smartphone with access to Verizon’s 5G network” when that network launches.
Verizon is expected to launch mobile 5G service during the early months of 2019. It launched fixed 5G in October.
