Verizon 4G Phones – 6 Months Earlier Than Promised
CTO of Verizon 4G, Anthony Melone, has promised that the mobile phone company will start selling its first 4G phones by the middle of 2011.
Although Verizon have given no indication of a likely handset supplier, Melone pointed out the new time frame for the first Verizon 4G phone is six months earlier than previously expected.
He also confirmed that metered or tiered mobile data plans are more likely for the new phone service than the current selection of unlimited data plans, a view also shared by AT&T for its new network.
Verizon 4G Network Speed Results
The numbers from Verizon 4G are out and they look good. Based on testing in the Boston and Seattle areas, Verizon is saying publicly that average network speeds for a real life 4G network will be 5-12 Mbps for downloads and 2-5 Mbps for uploads.
That would make Verizon 4G one of the fastest phone networks in North America. The new network is due for launch in around 30 cities later this year, initially for non-phone devices like modems – Verizon compatible 4G phones aren’t expected in stores until 2011.
Get More 4G With The CLEAR USB Performance Dock
Designed with for the CLEAR 4G PXU1900 USB modem, the Performance Dock is an easy way to get better 4G signals and performance.
Using the CLEAR Performance Dock is straightforward: just plug it into a free USB port on your laptop or desktop and then sit the PXU1900 USB modem in the dock.
Price for this signal boost? $9.99
New CLEAR 4G Data Plans – Unlimited Usage
CLEAR 4G has simplified its 4G mobile internet data plan options. The main change is the dropping of data usage limits on all plans.
While there are some differences between markets that Clear operates in, the basic 4G options are:
Get One – CLEAR 4G for $40 a month with either a home modem or a 4G USB modem and unlimited access. For $55 a month you can also have access to the national Sprint 3G network.
Get Two Home and Mobile 4G for $55 a month or two Mobile phones for $65 a month.
Basic Home 4G $30 a month intended as a low-cost alternative to cable or DSL internet. This plan still has a speed cap: 1.5Mbps download speeds and 500Kbps upload speeds.
Time Warner Launches 4G in Austin, Texas
Time Warner Cable now offers its “five times faster than 3G” 4G phone network in Austin, Texas.
The company says download speeds are comparable to its home broadband service Road Runner High Speed. The new 4G service costs $29.99.
Time Warner 4G is also available in Dallas, San Antonio, Wichita Falls, Corpus Christi and Charlotte, North Carolina.
Novatel’s 18Mbps 4G MiFi Hotspot
A first round of tests by Novatel Wireless of its new 4G MiFi Intelligent Mobile Hotspot showed speeds of 18Mbps over-the-air testing with “theoretical” peak throughput speeds of 30Mbps downlink and 10Mbps uplink.
No word on when this delicious new 4G MiFi will hit the shops but Novatel says working on other 4G devices – some of which may be wearable.
The 4G watch could be round the corner…
Sprint 4G Coverage – Another 8 Cities
Sprint 4G is extending its 4G network. Currently available in a few selected cities across the US, Sprint has now confirmed that 4G phone services will be coming this year to Boston, Denver, Kansas City, Houston, Minneapolis, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.
Sprint has also strongly hinted that there will be addition 4G cities announced as the year progresses.
Why The 4G Phone Will Kill Pay By Minute Calls
4G phones are coming and both WiMAX and LTE variations of the service will soon be able to deliver high quality voice calls over an IP network, rather than a standard mobile phone network. That means that rather than pay by the minute, we could soon be paying a flat rate for all 4G calls.
It’s the like the difference between using Skype and a normal pay as you go landline.
Analysts predict flat rate mobile phone calls on a 4G phone will be commonplace within three years. Even if mobile operators would prefer to continue charging by the minute, the availability of flat rate services like Skype and TruPhone via their own 4G network means they’ll have no choice but to offer flat rate phone calls themselves.
