Why Verizon customers in these Knoxville areas should expect some service changes

Silas Sloan, Knoxville News Sentinel
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Verizon has completed a multi-year redesign of its Knoxville network that will expand coverage and capacity in the area.

The wireless company added new cell sites and more fiber connections to stay ahead of exponential increases in data usage, according to a press release.

The redesign will only affect Verizon customers, so if that's you, here's what you should expect from these upgrades.

While only improvements for Verizon network customers, spokesperson Karen Schulz told Knox News the upgrades cover multiple services including wireless service access for mobile devices, home internet, business internet and Internet-of-Things services for smart appliances.

More: Want KUB's new internet service? You might be one of 25,000 households to get it this year

How Verizon service in Knoxville is changing

Cell phone in woman hands, sending text messages or surfing the web.
Cell phone in woman hands, sending text messages or surfing the web.

With the upgrades, 66% of Verizon customers in Knoxville now have access to 5G Ultra Wideband service.

Compared to last year, customers' median download speeds will increase by an estimated 226% and upload speeds could increase 39%, according to the release. Peak download speeds will come in at 385 Mbps.

Speeds vary depending on factors like the size and setup of a cell site and how many people are using the network, Schulz said, but Verizon said Knoxville customers will be able to download movies, connect to internet and stream content 226% faster.

Verizon customers in these areas should see improvements to service:

  • West Town Mall area

  • Cedar Bluff

  • Turkey Creek

  • Maryville

  • Oak Ridge

Will there be more upgrades to Verizon service around Knoxville?

Yes, but the changes will expand coverage rather than increase speed.

In the coming months, Verizon will make additional upgrades to increase capacity in the Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Farragut areas.

Like in Knoxville, these upgrades are made to manage growing data usage in these areas.

Silas Sloan is the growth and development reporter. Email silas.sloan@knoxnews.com. Twitter @silasloan. Instagram @knox.growth. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.   

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Verizon customers in Knoxville get access to 5G Ultra Wideband

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