AT&T and Verizon switched on their C-Band 5G networks back in January, giving the carriers a proper competitor to T-Mobile’s speedy mid-band 5G. However, phones also need to be updated with the proper firmware support before connecting to C-Band 5G, which has been a slower process. Two more phones have now been added to the list, though — the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.
George Koroneos at Verizon confirmed on Monday that the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro “have officially been certified to work on Verizon’s 5G C-Band network.” Both phones should receive an update enabling C-Band, but there’s nothing yet on Google’s OTA images or factory images pages (or Verizon’s software update page).
The wait is over! @Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro have officially been certified to work on @Verizon‘s 5G C-Band network, giving you access to the full power of 5G Ultra Wideband. Phones will be updated via a software update that will begin rolling out later today. #TeamPixel pic.twitter.com/IS3UcR05Rc
— George Koroneos
(@GLKCreative) March 21, 2022
The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are still waiting on the March Feature Drop/March security patch, which will also upgrade the phones to Android 12L. It’ss not clear if the update coming today is the Feature Drop, or if Pixel 6 owners will have to wait a little while longer for that.
The C-band spectrum operates between around 3.7 and 4.2 GHz, offering a middle ground between the slow far-reaching bands (like those often used for LTE and sub-6GHz 5G) and fast short-range bands (like the ones utilized by mmWave 5G). Verizon and AT&T’s rollouts are somewhat similar to T-Mobile’s mid-band 5G deployments, which helped boost 5G speeds in some parts of the United States.
Verizon’s C-Band 5G network is only available to subscribers with a “5G Get More,” “5G Play More,” or “5G Do More” plane to access C-Band — the cheapest “5G Start” wireless plan is left out.
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source https://www.xda-developers.com/pixel-6-c-band-5g/