According to Dow Jones Newswires, who spoke to a Samsung Executive, MetroPCS is scheduled to turn on America’s first LTE network next month in Las Vegas and Dallas. The world’s first mobile phone, the Samsung Craft, will also be made available during that time. Now all of this is just speculation at this point, but it would be kind of awesome if the little guy beat Verizon in the race to the title of “First LTE Network in the Western Hemisphere”.
The combined population of the Dallas Forth Worth area and Las Vegas is 8.3 million, compared to the population of Stockholm, which hovers around 2 million, you can get a sense of why TeliaSonera was so fast in launching the world’s first commercial LTE network. What speeds can we expect with MetroPCS? How much will you have to pay to have your eyelids ripped off because of the super fast wireless technology? What’s so special about the Samsung Craft? These are all question we’re all dying to know the answer to.
Live in a part of the USA that’s not serviced by MetroPCS? Don’t worry. Rumors say that Verzion, America’s largest operator, is due to launch their network in 25 to 30 markets this November and that in a year or two the 48 contiguous states should have coverage. Verizon says they’ll offer between 5 and 12 Mbps and that you can expect to pay a premium compared to their normal 3G mobile broadband data plans.
These are exciting times. Such transitions between wireless technologies don’t happen very often, on the order of once every half decade. The increase speed, the decreased latency, and the hope that wireless networks will not be slammed because of everyone watching some stupid kitten video on YouTube, makes LTE my most favorite technology of 2011. Hands down. Can’t wait. Bring it on!
[Via: Mobile Business Briefing]