It appears at least two modems will be available when Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) launches LTE in its promised 38 cities. And, according 
to an advertisement Engadget got its hands on, Verizon is marketing its service as 4G LTE.
According to the ad, Verizon will offer the LG VL600 and the Pantech UML290 LTE USB modems. The VL600 is a dual-mode CDMA/LTE modem, while the UML290 includes a bit about global capability "coming soon," which could include W-CDMA. The LG device was first discovered this summer in FCC documents, which confirmed the device will support Verizon's 700 MHz LTE network along with its EVDO data service.
Verizon plans to launch LTE this year in a total of 38 cities and more than 60 airports, covering 110 million POPs. Verizon Communications President and COO Lowell McAdam said in October that the carrier will expand coverage to 200 million POPs by 2012 and more than 285 million by 2013.
Verizon's choice of the "4G LTE" phrasing is notable as T-Mobile USA recently kicked off a campaign labeling its HSPA+ network the largest 4G network in the country. In a speech at the Open Mobile Summit conference in San Francisco earlier this month, Verizon Wireless CTO Tony Melone used the "4G LTE" moniker for the carrier's planned network.
When asked whether his "4G LTE" phrasing was an effort to distinguish Verizon's LTE network from other operators that are also using the 4G moniker to describe their offerings, Melone said that Verizon's 4G LTE network will be a differentiator on its own. "Ultimately, the biggest differentiator is when the networks are built to perform," Melone said. "We've been talking about 4G for some time. We look at it as transformational. We can get into technicalities of what is 4G or not, but from a customer perspective, it is a generational leap."
For more:
- see this Engadget article
Related articles:
Verizon's Melone discusses '4G' marketing claims
T-Mobile steps up 4G marketing speak: It has the nation's largest 4G network
Verizon to launch LTE in 38 markets this year
Will the FCC require all 700 MHz LTE equipment to interoperate?
AT&T preps for future with LTE-compatible USB device
Phil Goldstein and Sue Marek contributed to this article.