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Verizon switching to UMTS based LTE for their next generation network, 100 megabits down

Categories: Verizon, Vodafone
By: , IntoMobile
Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 2:06 PM

3g_lte_20070207_l.jpg

The Gods, can you hear them singing? Verizon choose not to go with EVDO revision C for their next generation network, they are instead going with the GSM Association’s standard currently known as 3G LTE (Long Term Evolution)! Much of this is due to the fact that their big brother Vodafone will be implementing the same technology over seas and they want to have a common platform. Expect this network to be live in 3 – 4 years. Here is what Wikipedia has to say about LTE:

  • Download rates of 100 Mbit/s, and upload rates of 50 Mbit/s for every 20 MHz of spectrum
  • Sub-5ms latency for small IP packets
  • Optimal cell size of 5 km, 30 km sizes with reasonable performance, and up to 100 km cell sizes supported with acceptable performance

Verizon based devices with a SIM card? Hell has truly frozen over and boy oh boy am I glad about this change. With Sprint going to WiMAX, Verizon going with LTE, what other radical decisions will American operators make in the upcoming years?

[Via: Phone Scoop, RCR Wireless News]

About The Author

Stefan Constantinescu

Stefan Constantinescu (@WhatTheBit on Twitter) has loved technology since as far back as he can remember. It started with computers, but in the past few years his passion has turned to mobile devices. As a mobile phone enthusiast who lives and breathes devices that connect to the internet, he knows he is not alone with this radical fascination of all things wireless. He is strongly opinionated and enjoys a good debate so leave comments in his posts and he’ll get back to you! Stefan began blogging as a hobby in the fall of 2006 and joined IntoMobile in the summer of 2007. Later he got a job at Nokia in March 2008, but as of June 2009 he has rejoined the IntoMobile team. He is currently based out of Helsinki, Finland.

  • olly

    Wow, either my RSS reader is set to April 1st or I just entered the twilight zone!

  • Stefan Constantinescu

    i know exactly how you feel

  • Stefan Constantinescu

    Hey Tomi! What do you have to say about WiMAX? Curious to hear your thoughts on that subject. You rarely mention it on your blog.

  • KingBeef

    That mean unlocked iPhones for Verizon

  • stephen

    then if verizon gets sim cards does that mean you will be able to use other phone services on their phones

  • B_man

    Their changing not because the technology is better but it is cheaper. The CDMA phones are very expensive compared to the GSM phone’s.
    A person really doesn’t think about the cost of the phone being a deciding factor but 25 bucks more a unit times 50 million subs or more is a lot of money. Today’s customers have been taught to change phones at least once a year and in some cases even more than that, a new revision is out, etc. and certainly worth the money.
    The fact of the matter is, eighty per cent of the people still only make and receive calls but their paying for the other twenty per cent of the text and data users functions.
    The large carriers have learn that there is more money to be made from the units than the actual service they sell.
    Advertise a new device and you can sell it. Even tho the uses are about the same as the one you have and you can do this by rearranging the buttons, changing the colors, shape and screen designs, the public will eat it up, so if you have a chance to make an extra 25 bucks a unit, why not.