A Verizon Wireless executive has finally narrowed down a bit more exactly when the company will light up its LTE markets. Verizon Communications CTO Richard Lynch told Sidecut Reports that the country's largest operator will be turning on its 25 to 30 LTE markets in the fourth quarter.
That's not surprising given Verizon Wireless CTO Tony Melone's indication during FierceWireless' recent CTIA co-located event, "The Path to 4G," that the company would conduct friendly user trials of its LTE service this summer.
The only known markets where Verizon has been conducting LTE trials is in Boston and Seattle. The operator has not yet indicated which markets will get LTE service or what pricing would look like, only indicating that a usage-based pricing model is likely in order.
In related news, Verizon broke ground on its multmillion-dollar LTE Technology Innovation Center in Waltham, Mass. In an interview with Dow Jones Newswires, Lynch said the facility will focus on developing products beyond USB modems and handsets. "We've already got places to do the routine," he said. "This is about new and different."
Melone has already indicated that LTE handsets will become available by mid-2011.
For more:
- see this Sidecut Reports article
- see this Dow Jones Newswires article (sub. req.)
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