Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) has indicated its LTE expansion in 2011 will happen faster than previously announced.
"By the end of the year we plan to be in about 175 markets," Verizon Communications CFO Fran Shammo said during the operator's first-quarter earnings call. Verizon had previously indicated that LTE would be in 147 metropolitan markets by the end of the year. The operator now plans to cover more than 185 million potential subscribers with LTE service.
Shammo also said the operator activated 500,000 LTE devices in the quarter, including 260,000 HTC ThunderBolt smartphones. The ThunderBolt launched March 17. "From a pace perspective we are very pleased with the HTC handset launch," Shammo said. He added that the company will have up to three LTE smartphones launched by the end of the second quarter; the carrier also offers a number of LTE-capable USB modems and portable hotspots
For more:
- see this Light Reading Mobile article
- read this FierceWireless article
Related articles:
Verizon nets 65,000 LTE subs, details iPhone data pricing
Unscathed by Verizon's iPhone launch, AT&T activates 3.6M iPhones in quarter
Appraising U.S. wireless operators in the fourth quarter