Remember that little piece of 700Mhz spectrum that Verizon snatched from Google’s lazy grasp? Well, combined with other spectrum slices that Verizon Wireless picked up at the recently ended FCC auction, Verizon will use the newly acquired C-Block spectrum to roll out a nationwide mobile broadband network based on the 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) standard. Verizon Wireless wants us to know that their spectrum winnings has expanded the No. 2 US carrier’s spectrum by 60%, and that they should be lighting off their LTE network in 2010.
Apparently, Verizon hopes to get the 4G standard finalized, begin field trials and finish prepping for their network build-out by the end of this year. Network deployment and advanced network trials should wrap up by 2009, in time to launch the LTE network in 2010.
Keep in mind, AT&T is aiming for a 2012 LTE network launch. Sprint, on the other hand, is looking to launch its WiMAX-based XOHM network later this year. But, the way things are going for Sprint, they’d better hope that they at least bring XOHM to market before LTE goes live. As long as Sprint can launch XOHM by 2009, they have a chance to truly transform themselves in to the premier mobile data provider that they need to become to survive.