James Delahunty
14 Mar 2010 18:01
According to a report by the Wall Street Journal on Thursday, 4G-capable mobile handsets may be available through Verizon Wireless by mid-2011. Verizon Wireless opted to use Long-Term Evolution (LTE) technology for its 4G networks in the United States, whereas Sprint opted for WiMax in order to get to market faster.
Verizon Wireless Chief Technology Officer, Anthony Melone, told the Wall Street Journal that he expected Verizon to offer 4G-capable mobile handsets within 3-6 months after a commercial 4G network is launched by the operator. This would be about twice as fast as previously expected.
Before handsets are available, the 4G networks will be accessed by users through USB air cards for faster Internet access compared to 3G products. Initial handsets will still use CDMA technology to provide access to Verizon's 3G network for voice traffic and when the 4G service is unavailable for data.
Verizon CTO Dick Lynch said at a panel discussion at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February that getting voice to work over LTE has been particularly challenging. The operator recently said that speeds in tests of its LTE network showed peak data rates of 40-50Mbps.