Verizon Wireless president Ronan Dunne (pictured) seemed to back away from the operator’s focus on content creation this week, instead casting operators as ideally situated to be content curators and aggregators.

In comments made during an investor conference, Dunne pointed out both content ownership and the ways in which consumers engage with it are fragmenting with the rise of OTT services. While Verizon may be a content provider in areas such as sports, Dunne said the role of an operator is to source content for users without forcing it on them.

“Is content an important consideration? Yes it is. But I’m seeing the traffic on our network, I’m seeing our competitive position where an awful lot of content is being consumed on our network but I’m not bundling any content at the moment and I’m not disadvantaged by not bundling.”

The statements seem to mark a change in strategy for Verizon, which over the past several years struck a number of deals to position itself as a generator of original content. The operator went so far as to launch its own video streaming platform, go90, in 2015, but the service proved unsuccessful and appears to be on the way out.

5G chatter
During the investor presentation, Dunne also dismissed rivals’ 5G plans as mere marketing campaigns as he shed more light on Verizon’s own fixed and mobile roadmap for next generation services.

On the fixed-wireless side of the equation, Dunne said Verizon’s efforts revolve around “turning connectivity into possibilities for everyone and everything”. He added the operator does not intend to simply turn on its fixed-wireless 5G service: “This is about creating a new experience for customers, otherwise why bother?”

Though Verizon highlighted its fixed-wireless efforts in recent months, Dunne noted mobile is very much a part of the operator’s integrated 5G strategy. He said Verizon is already assessing the markets where it will lead with mobile 5G and added there’s “no reason our position would be different” from the competition in terms of timing.

In fact, Dunne said based on the fibre and spectrum assets Verizon holds, there’s “good reason to believe we can be first”.

AT&T previously announced it will rollout mobile 5G in select cities later this year, but Dunne said the reality is 2018 deployments will face a number of constraints, including the availability of standards-compliant radio equipment and handsets to match (something AT&T plans to get round using a device it calls a Puck).

Dunne quipped Verizon isn’t interested in building a “PR network” but is instead focused on “building a network that’s worthy of Verizon”.

Unlimited income
In addition to capitalising on 5G, Dunne said Verizon is also finding ways to monetise its unlimited data plans. He revealed uptake of the plans resulted in a more even distribution of usage across time and geography, allowing Verizon to sell more spare network capacity.

Unlimited tariffs are also bearing fruit in the form of customers adding more lines and devices, like wearables, to their accounts. Dunne concluded more connected devices in the home also supports a “substantial component” of the investment case for addressing the residential broadband market.