Raindrops splat the pavement in downtown Chicago as I balance an umbrella in the crook of my arm and phones in each hand. On my left, I’m downloading the PUBG Mobile game over Verizon’s 5G network. On my right, I’m timing how long it takes to install: 2.5 minutes (versus 6 minutes on 4G). What’s so exhilarating about this moment has less to do with the progress bar on my screen and more to do with bearing witness to one of the first live 5G networks anywhere in the world.
