View discussion in a new window
Verizon Wireless, Sprint and US Cellular opted to go the CDMA route while at&t, T-Mobile and others went with GSM. I'm not sure what the deciding factor(s) was/were, but, once the decision was made and the network was being built out, there was no going back.
Verizon Wireless is, currently, in the process of getting it's new 5G network installed. There is some testing going on in limited areas.
At some point, after the 5G network is put into service...and...new 5G phones are brought to market...the existing 4G/LTE/CDMA network will be closed off to new activations.
For an indeterminate amount of time, Verizon Wireless will operate both networks concurrently. As people upgrade their phones & other devices, traffic on the old network will decrease. Eventually, the old network will be shut down.
