5G Moto Mod pre-orders start March 14, Verizon 5G launches April 11

As the battle for “first to 5G” heats up among the Big Four wireless carriers in the United States, it appears Verizon is taking the lead. Big Red just announced that it will launch 5G service in Chicago and Minneapolis on April 11, and also offer the 5G Moto Mod which will allow Motorola Moto Z3 owners to connect to that network.

This won’t make Verizon the first to offer 5G service — that goes to AT&T — but it will mean Verizon would be the first carrier to have 5G service and a 5G-capable smartphone that can connect to that service. AT&T only has a wireless hotspot (that doesn’t really do too much).

The 5G Moto Mod — which snaps on the back of the otherwise 4G LTE Motorola Moto Z3 — will go up for pre-order tomorrow, March 14. Existing Verizon customers with a Moto Z3 attached to their account can get the 5G Moto Mod for just $50.

If you’re not a Verizon customer or you don’t have a Moto Z3, you can still get in on the action. If you are already a Verizon customer, just buy a Moto Z3 and then place your pre-order for the 5G Moto Mod. If you’re not a Verizon customer or are open to adding a new line as an existing customer, sign up for new Verizon unlimited service and you’ll get a free Moto Z3 and you can then get the 5G Moto Mod. However, both of these deals only work on March 14.

Regardless of how you get the Moto Z3 and the 5G Moto Mod, it will cost you $10 per month on top of your existing Verizon unlimited plan payments to access 5G. The 5G service will begin on April 11 in select parts of Chicago and Minneapolis.

If this all sounds fairly confusing, that’s because it is. Check out our roundup of Verizon’s 5G service and our breakdown of its wireless plans for more help.

Otherwise, click below to pre-order the 5G Moto Mod starting March 14!