4G News: Verizon and AT&T Discuss Their Future LTE Networks

This weekend both Verizon and AT&T at separate conferences detailed their plans for roll out of their new 4G wireless networks based on the LTE standard.  LTE, which competes with Clear Wire and Sprint’s current choice of 4G technology WiMax, can achieve real broadband speeds for mobile devices.

At an IT conference in Maryland, Verizon announced that by the end of the year they plan to have their LTE service launched in thirty metro areas. Curiously, these areas have been chosen based on their close proximity to NFL football teams, rather than on the size of the population. Verizon should finish their staged 4G roll out by 2013.

AT&T discussed their LTE network strategy at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Media, Communications & Entertainment conference in California. According to CNET:

AT&T Operations CEO John Stankey said the carrier will launch commercial LTE service by the middle of the next year. Stankey didn’t specify initial cities, but he said AT&T is aiming to cover between 70 million and 75 million people by the end of 2011.

This means that within the next year all three United States carriers who carry Palm webOS devices will have launched their own 4G networks. While the era of 4G wireless data is just in its infancy and one dominant standard has not emerged, it is safe to say that future Palm webOS devices will have always-on, rapid-speed connectivity. This is exciting stuff!

[Source: CNET]