Things just got a whole lot better for folks serving in the United States Navy, as sailors on board the USS Kearsarge and USS San Antonio will get access to 4G LTE service. In addition to the fast data speeds both crews are expected to receive free LG phones powered by Android. We’re not sure what model phones these are, nor do we know what company is powering the service but it’s still cool.
The two boats carrying the 4G LTE network are in the process of finishing off testing the system in the North Atlantic before they set sail for the Persian Gulf. Once testing is done, sailors and marines who are “4G-trained” will be able to use the devices to call, text, and transfer data to anywhere within a radius of 20 nautical miles (37 kilometers).
The deeper reasoning behind getting this 4G LTE bump is to better prepare the two vessels fight against pirates. You know, like the Somali-pirates who love reeking havoc across the Atlantic. This new addition should improve the ability to do something as basic as shoot videos of the pirates and then send the footage to the ships or patrol boats for analysis.
[Wired; via Fast Company]