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Verizon's 4G Network to Launch Next Week, No Handsets Until Mid-2011

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Verizon Wireless today announced that it will be launching the first large-scale LTE (4G) cellular network on Sunday, December 5th, bringing service to 38 metropolitan areas and 60 airports in the United States. The network is launching with only broadband data plans for USB modems, as handsets utilizing the technology are not expected until mid-2011.Verizon Wireless customers can choose from two 4G LTE Mobile Broadband data plans: $50 monthly access for 5 GB monthly allowance or $80 monthly access for 10 GB monthly allowance, both with $10/GB overage. For laptop connectivity, two 4G LTE USB modems will be initially available: the LG VL600 is available at launch and the Pantech UML290 will be available soon, each $99.99 after $50 rebate with a new two-year agreement. Both USB modems provide backward-compatibility with Verizon Wireless' 3G network. If laptop users travel outside of a 4G LTE coverage area, they will automatically stay connected on the company's 3G network.Multiple mainstream news sources have reported that Apple is set to release a Verizon-compatible version of the iPhone as early as January 2011, although that model is not expected to support Verizon's new 4G network. In fact, rumors have suggested that the next major revision to the iPhone, likely set for launch in June or July of next year, also will not support 4G. Such a move would follow the precedent set by Apple with the original iPhone, which did not offer 3G compatibility despite AT&T offering a 3G network at that time, with Apple opting to wait to adopt the technology until the following year when it had matured and availability expanded to more markets.

Rumors have also suggested that Verizon may be testing LTE-compatible iPads, although the information appears to be unconfirmed.

AT&T has been said to be on track to roll out its own 4G LTE network in mid-2011 as it continues to upgrade its 3G service to faster speeds to support current users and to serve as a fallback during the full roll-out of 4G service in the future.

Article Link: Verizon's 4G Network to Launch Next Week, No Handsets Until Mid-2011
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2010/12/01/verizons-4g-network-to-launch-next-week-no-handsets-until-mid-2011/
Last edited:
So iPhone 5 on Verizon next summer ... LTE capable or not? ... let the speculation kick up another notch!
 
Verizon has limited coverage of 4G, what a surprise. "National wide coverage by 2013"

Btw, Verizon Flash designers, the splash screen video is useless and don't get any message across.
 
Consultant said:
Verizon has limited coverage of 4G, what a surprise. "National wide coverage by 2013"
Click to expand...

You expected an national rollout from day 1? Really?

Also, when Verizon says "National" they mean everywhere they have coverage, which is unlike AT&T who just covers the major population areas. So, yes, that will take a long time to complete.
 
applefan69 said:
neat, i wonder what kinda download and upload speeds you actually get.
Click to expand...

From the press release:

"The company expects 4G LTE average data rates in real-world, loaded network environments to be 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) on the downlink and 2 to 5 Mbps on the uplink."

Still a wide range, but this is WIRELESS. It's a hostile environment and changes by the second.

I like those figures, they set a reasonable expectation. Latency ("ping times") should be on par with cable modem so the experience should be at least comparable to being at home with a decent connection.
 
smithrh said:
You expected an national rollout from day 1? Really?

Also, when Verizon says "National" they mean everywhere they have coverage, which is unlike AT&T who just covers the major population areas. So, yes, that will take a long time to complete.
Click to expand...

I agree.

Too bad it isn't just pressing a button to have 4G coverage all over the planet. A lot of hardware has to be deployed first. In 500 years, maybe a better way will be invented to solve this problem.
 
smithrh said:
Also, when Verizon says "National" they mean everywhere they have coverage, which is unlike AT&T who just covers the major population areas. So, yes, that will take a long time to complete.
Click to expand...
Funny. The two places my wife's Verizon phone did not have any coverage (at all including voice) had very good 3G connection from AT&T.
 
theBB said:
Funny. The two places my wife's Verizon phone did not have any coverage (at all including voice) had very good 3G connection from AT&T.
Click to expand...

There are always exceptions like this, but they will be rare.

In an cross-country trip last summer, I can tell you I had Verizon EVDO coverage for all of it while HSPA coverage from AT&T only came into play in the major cities.

Bottom line, VzW will put LTE everywhere they have coverage. For now, AT&T only puts 3G in major population areas.
 
no 4G networks for at least 2 years, no matter what the ads say

No carrier is rolling out a true 4G network - as defined by ITU, the official international telecommunications standards organization. Every use of the term "4G" in an ad or product description is a marketing lie designed to confuse customers and attempt to bash competitors. A true 4G network will have speeds of 1Gbit/s for stationary reception and 100Mbit/s for mobile and be all IP packet based. It would be nice if these clowns who market technology to the average person on the street could be dragged out into the street and beaten severely with sticks and pipes on national TV. :D
 
BornAgainMac said:
I agree.

Too bad it isn't just pressing a button to have 4G coverage all over the planet. A lot of hardware has to be deployed first. In 500 years, maybe a better way will be invented to solve this problem.
Click to expand...
And that is precisely why we won't see an LTE-equipped iPhone for a couple of years.

While many other countries have committed to LTE, they aren't going to start deploying until 2011/2012. These carriers are currently building out their HSPA+ networks. The USA is the only major market where LTE is being actively deployed right now.

Since they got into the phone business, Apple has released handsets that are well supported on the predominant network technology existing worldwide (hence they released a 2.5G GSM/EDGE phone in 2007 while the networks were still building out 3G UTMS/HSPA).

Based on this history, it would seem likely that Apple would release HSPA+ iPhones in 2011 and 2012, pushing the LTE-capable iPhone to 2013 just based on the scheduled deployment of LTE worldwide.
 
MacRumors said:
...the next major revision to the iPhone, likely set for launch in June or July of next year, also will not support 4G. Such a move would follow the precedent set by Apple with the original iPhone...
Click to expand...

Quite rightly, Apple refuses to be any carrier's guinea pig.
 
Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but hasn't SPRINT already begun rolling out its 4G program and beaten VERIZON and ATT?

I don't have SPRINT myself, but I know they are advertising in my market for 4G. I have no idea what handset it is or if there even is one yet.

Anybody know?
 
smithrh said:
In an cross-country trip last summer, I can tell you I had Verizon EVDO coverage for all of it while HSPA coverage from AT&T only came into play in the major cities.
Click to expand...
I had a similar experience, but that surprised me was while my work VZW phone would almost always show "1XEV", the data speeds in many rural areas I visited were significantly slower than my AT&T iPhone on EDGE. So now I'm curious -- it's pretty obvious that Verizon has rolled out 3G "capability" to all of their towers, but did they bump the towers' Internet connection speed up proportionately in the rural areas?

Bottom line, VzW will put LTE everywhere they have coverage. For now, AT&T only puts 3G in major population areas.
Click to expand...
FWIW, AT&T is still in the process of "putting 3G" out there, and they're hitting plenty of non-major population areas.

http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=2943

Eagleville, Tennessee -- November 16 2010
Santa Fe, New Mexico -- November 15 2010
Branson, Missouri -- November 10 2010
Pittsfield, Massachusetts -- October 28 2010
Hannibal, Missouri -- October 22 2010
Boonville, Missouri -- September 23 2010
Yuma, Arizona -- September 15 2010
 
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