Verizon Business brings 5G Innovation Sessions to Washington, D.C.’s Union Station

BASKING RIDGE, NJ - Verizon Business, along with Ericsson, is heading to Washington, D.C. to showcase the power of 5G through dynamic, immersive demonstrations of current and forward-looking use cases and products during this 5G Innovation Sessions tour stop on September 20.

Set in the heart of Washington, D.C. at historic Union Station, the event will feature demonstrations, presentations, and panels with industry leaders and experts from Verizon Business, Ericsson, the U.S. Department of Energy, Amtrak Police, FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI), and the U.S. Capitol Police, highlighting Verizon Business’ solutions for both businesses and public sector agencies.

“We’re looking forward to showcasing the innovations that Verizon 5G enables right here in our nation’s capital. There is no better location to highlight our work with our business customers as well as in the public sector, where we support government agencies such as the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs in everything from strengthening our nation’s defenses to enabling better pathways to care for our veterans,” said Kyle Malady, Chief Executive Officer, Verizon Business. “We’ll also have on display several of our most cutting-edge Verizon Frontline deployables, which support first responders during severe weather and other emergencies in staying connected, most recently in Florida and Maui.”

Innovations featured will include Industry Solutions, 5G Edge Accelerated Access, 5G Edge Cashierless Checkout, 5G Business Internet, 5G Edge Aerial Inspections, Mission-Critical Networks, Time Critical Communications, Private 5G, Verizon Frontline’s Tactical Humanitarian Operations Response (THOR) vehicle, Verizon Frontline’s Mobile Utility Technology Transport (MUTT), Verizon Rapid Response Connectivity Unit, a Robotic Dog (quadruped) and Verizon’s Mobile Connectivity Agile Vehicle (MCAV).

“We are thrilled to partner with Verizon to bring 5G technology that enables reliable, high-performance, and secure communications to government, public safety agencies and enterprises,” said Sandra Cutrona, Vice President of Sales and Business Development, Customer Unit Verizon at Ericsson North America. “Private 5G networks will accelerate the transformation and innovation in order for early enterprise adopters to gain a competitive advantage. Together with Verizon, Ericsson is providing secure, high speed, low latency, state-of-the-art 5G wireless solutions."

The event will be held at Washington Union Station located at 50 Massachusetts Ave., NE Washington, D.C. 20002 on September 20, featuring prominent executives including Kyle Malady, Chief Executive Officer, Verizon Business; Massimo Peselli, Chief Revenue Officer, Global Enterprise and Public Sector, Verizon Business; Scott Lawrence, Senior Vice President, Global Solutions, Verizon Business; Maggie Hallbach, President, Verizon Frontline; Sandra Cutrona, Vice President, Sales and Business Development for Verizon Account, Ericsson North America; Blaze Vincent, Director, Technology and Business Development, Ericsson North America; Jodi Kouts, Senior Advisor for Policy, U.S. Department of Energy; Dr. Jeffrey Stern, Superintendent of FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute; Chief J. Thomas Manger, Chief of Police, U.S. Capitol Police; Chief D. Samuel Dotson III, Vice President and Chief of Police, Amtrak, Police Department.

Visit Verizon 5G Innovation Sessions to RSVP.

Verizon’s Commitment to Washington, D.C.

Verizon has recently made major upgrades to the network serving customers in Washington, D.C. 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. In the city of Washington, D.C., 75% of the population is now covered with 5G Ultra Wideband service using C-band spectrum.

Network upgrades in Washington, D.C. 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.

Over the last decade, Verizon Innovative Learning has committed $1 billion in market value to support digital equity and inclusion within education for some of the most vulnerable populations across the country. Through partnerships with nonprofit organizations, and a suite of programs and resources, the initiative has reached over 3 million students at schools across the U.S., primarily focused on Title I institutions.

In Washington D.C. over 5,000 students have been reached across 11 schools participating in the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools program, equipping them with free technology, internet access and innovative STEM learning. Additionally, educators nationwide have access to Verizon Innovative Learning HQ, Verizon’s free next-generation online education portal that provides XR content, professional development, and lesson plans.

Verizon offers free, personalized resources through Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, designed to help small business owners grow their business, including online courses, 1:1 coaching, peer networking events, mentorship opportunities with industry experts and access to grants. Since its launch in September 2021, over 1,000 D.C.-based small businesses have registered and engaged with online courses like customer care, employee experience, cybersecurity, best practices for leveraging social media for growth, and many others.

Through Citizen Verizon, the company’s responsible business plan, Verizon aims to provide 10 million youths with digital skills training and support 1M small businesses with resources to thrive in the digital economy by 2023.

Supporting federal agencies in Washington, D.C.

Verizon Public Sector has won contracts with federal agencies like the Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to help with network infrastructure and technical support.

Through three federal government Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS) contract vehicles, Verizon will upgrade network infrastructure and provide technical support services for the U.S. Department of Defense’s Pentagon headquarters, the National Capital Region (NCR), and Fort Belvoir. The first contract involves transitioning the Pentagon's population to advanced IP services, optimizing over 52,000 voice lines. Verizon will provide core services to Joint Force Headquarters NCR through the second contract, while the third contract covers technology upgrades at Fort Belvoir, a key U.S. Army garrison.

The partnership expansion with the VA involves supplying mobile devices and mission-critical communication support during disaster recovery missions and emergencies. The VA can purchase devices and services for various facilities, and Verizon's involvement extends to supporting the VA's broader network objectives, including the adoption of advanced technologies such as Mobile Edge Compute and Software-Defined Wide-Area Networks. This expansion also grants VA emergency response personnel access to Verizon Frontline, the advanced network for first responders on the front lines, helping enhance their communication and crisis response capabilities.

Verizon's FAA contract aims to design, build, and operate a secure enterprise network supporting critical applications across the National Airspace System (NAS), facilitating Air Traffic Management for thousands of flights and millions of passengers.

Verizon also provides advanced network solutions for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). This includes two EIS contracts where Verizon is providing voice and data solutions and incorporating new technologies and services to help meet DOE’s next-generation requirements. Verizon is also providing 5G Ultra Wideband (UW) to DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). PNNL has established a next generation communications innovation studio, currently focused on 5G, to help support the lab’s mission of tackling science and technology challenges in areas like national security, energy efficiency and scientific discovery. PNNL is the first DOE national laboratory to open a studio powered by Verizon’s 5G UW service.

About the 5G Innovation Sessions

Verizon’s 5G Innovation Sessions 2023 launched in Chicago with events in New York City, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. Coming soon are an upcoming event in Los Angeles (October), and a final stop in Dallas (December). The events cover a range of themes, including Managed Venue, Fixed Wireless Access, Private 5G, and Mobile Edge Compute.