Verizon is well on its way to start
opening up its next generation 4G wireless service by the end of
2010. According to eWeek,
Verizon plans to have its LTE network up and running in 30 "NFL
Cities" by year's end -- in total, 100 million customers will be
covered.
In preparation for the rollout, Verizon
will be using IPv6 and upgrading its cell sites to Gigabit Ethernet
to provide the necessary bandwidth to accommodate the increased data
speeds provided by LTE. In Verizon's case, download speeds will range
from 5 Mbps to 12 Mbps. Upload speeds will come in at 2 Mbps to 5
Mbps. In addition, latency for users will range from 30 ms to 150 ms.
For those keeping score, Verizon has
already
begun LTE user trials in five cities. Also, the company has
announced plans to build
out its LTE network in rural areas. Rural customers have long
been an underserved segment of the population when it comes to wired
and mobile broadband connectivity.
By the end of 2012, Verizon hopes to
put its $100 billion USD investment in its data network (since 2000)
to good use by reaching roughly 200 million customers. By 2013, the
company wants to reach roughly 90 percent of the U.S. population.
The first customers to use Verizon's
LTE network will be doing so with USB adapters. However, handsets
which operate on LTE will start hitting the market next year.
