Verizon teams up with UPS to deliver packages with 5G drones

Verizon Communications Inc. kicked off the Consumer Electronics Show on a virtual stage Monday, touting the ways 5G will change the world, including network-connected drones and football stadiums.

The company is working with United Parcel Service Inc. to test the use of 5G drones to deliver packages to a Florida retirement community, Verizon Chief Executive Officer Hans Vestberg said at the event. Joined by NFL hall-of-famer Deion Sanders and Commissioner Roger Goodell, Vestberg also said Verizon will equip 28 stadiums with 5G this year. The wireless technology will give fans added camera angles and provide teams with sideline communication services.

Verizon’s pitch is part of a broader campaign to get consumers and businesses to embrace 5G, a speedier network that is seen as key to spurring demand for new devices and services. The company and wireless peers AT&T Inc. and T-Mobile US Inc. are spending billions of dollars in a race to create 5G networks that they hope will transform industries ranging from health care to entertainment.

On the arts front, Verizon launched a 5G-enhanced virtual viewing of some works on display at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art available through TheMetUnframed.com.

The annual CES tech conference attracts thousands of attendees each year for an early glimpse of new products and services. This year, due to the pandemic, the event is being conducted online.