Verizon Set for LTE Start Dec. 5
Verizon Wireless will turn on its LTE network Dec. 5 in 38 markets, Tony Melone, the carrier’s senior vice president, said in a conference call Wednesday. It will offer two 4G mobile broadband plans and will educate and alert consumers about their data usage under the offerings, he said.
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The average data rate will be 5 to 12 Mbps, Melone said. The data plans are $50 for monthly access for a 5 GB monthly allowance and $80 monthly access for a 10 GB monthly allowance, both with $10 per gigabyte overage charges. Consumers will receive text notices over the Verizon Access Manager when they hit 50, 75, 90 and 100 percent of their monthly usage limit, a spokesman said. Monthly bills under a LTE plan will look like current bills, he said. It doesn’t matter whether the ITU calls Verizon’s LTE technology 4G or not, because consumers will notice the generational shift in performance, Melone said. Consumers don’t care how the network is labeled, he said. The company will have detailed maps available on its Web site starting Sunday to show where the network is available. The service will also be available in more than 60 airports, including ones outside the launch markets.
For laptop connectivity, two 4G LTE USB modems will be the first available: the LG VL600 is available at launch and the Pantech UML290 will be available soon, each $99.99 after $50 rebate with a two-year agreement. Both USB modems provide backward-compatibility with Verizon’s 3G network. When laptop users travel outside a 4G LTE coverage area, they will automatically be connected to the 3G network. 4G service will extend throughout the carrier’s current 3G coverage area by 2013, Verizon Wireless CEO Dan Mead said. The company will be announcing the availability of more USB cards in coming weeks, and LTE embedded in other devices, including mobile handsets, will hit the market in early 2011, Melone said. The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January is expected to be the debut party for some new devices, he said.
AT&T Chief Technology Officer John Donovan sniped at the announcement with a blog post Wednesday. “In their haste to build LTE networks, some wireless service providers are stinging from their decision not to update their current networks,” he said. “They have just one way to spell speed, and it’s LTE.” It will take a long time for LTE to be deployed broadly, he said. The best mobile broadband experience is based on consistent speed, he said, saying the carrier had five mobile broadband speed upgrades in recent years, including its HPSA+ deployment. 3G and 4G will be equally important, especially in the short term, Melone said.