November Launch For Verizon 4G Phone Network
Stories are flying around the mobile phone industry that the long promised Verizon 4G network will launch on November 15 in 30 markets.
Verizon has always said that 33% of their customers will have 4G coverage when their network launches, which ties in with the 30 market figure. Those first markets are said to include New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia.
It’s also rumored that Verizon will offer two USB wireless data cards on the same launch day.
Verizon Launch Date for Network & 4G Phones
Rumors circulating around the mobile phone industry – and said to come from a well informed source – say that Verizon will start rolling out it much awaited 4G phone network on November 15.
Although Verizon has been testing their 4G network in selected cities for some time, no commercial launches have yet happened – despite Sprint charging ahead with its 4G network, which is now available in over 30 markets.
Verizon’s November 15 rollout is thought to include 25 markets with a “slew” of new 4G phones being released to the market on November 26, Black Friday traditionally the biggest shopping day of the year in the US.
Verizon Starts Testing 4G Phone Network
Verizon Wireless is to start “friendly user trials” of its future 4G mobile phone network in five US cities.
Similar trials have already taken place in Boston and Seattle but it’s not yet known which cities have been chosen for this round of testing of the Verizon 4G network. Users are likely to be restricted – at least in the initial stages – to Verizon employees and those of technology partners.
Big Red says it’s still on target to launch a 4G network in 25-30 markets by the end of this year.
No Unlimited Data Plans for Verizon 4G
When Verizon’s 4G network is finally rolled out it plans to charge phone users differently for its 4G services.
Instead of offering unlimited mobile data plans or per minute voice plans, Verizon is likely to use a system of data “buckets”. These are designed, Verizon says, to make more sense of the huge growth in 4G smartphone related traffic that’s expected as more 4G phones access the mobile networks more often.
Verizon plans to offer 4G in 30 – 40 markets by the end of the year with a complete national 4G network in place by 2013.
Verizon To Release Five 4G Phones
While Sprint is releasing its first 4G phone next month, Verizon has said it doesn’t expect to have 4G phones available until May 2011.
The good news is that by that time Verizon should have five 4G phones available. Although exact details of the phones aren’t yet known Verizon says the phones will most likely be made by Motorola, HTC (makers of the 4G EVO), LG and RIM (makers of the Blackberry).
However, it’s likely that many of those manufacturers will have 4G phones available on other networks before the end of this year – just as HTC will have with the EVO 4G which is coming to Sprint next month.
Rural 4G Broadband – Verizon Looks for Partners
Verizon wants to hook up with partners in rural areas of the US to speed up deployment of its 4G phone network.
Verizon plans to launch 4G in 30 markets by the end of the year, reaching around 100 million phone users. Chief Technology Officer, Tony Melone, said in a recent press conference the company wanted to encourage rural mobile carriers to use their mobile spectrum. He added the company believed in “partnering with rural carriers and getting (4G) LTE out there quicker”.
Melone also mentioned phone manufacturers were working hard so that the first Verizon 4G phones could be on sale a few months earlier than originally planned.
Nexaira – NexConnect 3G / 4G SOHO Router
Nexaira Wireless have just announced a brand new 4G router. Due for launch next month, the NexConnect 3G / 4G router will work with any mobile phone carrier in North America and comes with an automatic fallback option for use in areas where there is still no 4G network coverage.
According to Nexaira, AT&T, T-Mobile, Bell, Rogers, Telus, Sprint, Clear and Verizon phone networks will all work fine with the new NexConnect 3G / 4G SOHO Router.
Verizon 4G To Cover A Third of the US By Year End
Verizon has once again confirmed plans to launch a 4G phone network in 25 – 30 cities by the end of this year.
Verizon says after that its 4G network should double in size within 15 months and will ultimately equal or exceed the current 3G network coverage by late 2013.
The first Verizon 4G phones aren’t expected to be on sale until the first half of next year.
