Dick Lynch: Verizon's LTE rollout to launch next year, not 2010

by Thomas Ricker posted Dec 10th 2008 at 7:32AM

After ~~winning~~ purchasing spectrum in the 700MHz FCC auction, we were all a little disappointed to hear that we'd have to wait until the year 2010 for high-speed LTE networks to launch (widescale deployments coming later) on both Verizon and AT&T. In a surprise, seemingly off-the-cuff statement made Tuesday at Cisco's C-Scape conference, Verizon's unfortunately named executive VP and CTO, Dick Lynch, said, "We expect that LTE will actually be in service somewhere here in the U.S. probably this time next year." Lynch also said that Verizon plans to coordinate the rollout of femtocell base stations (likely with WiFi) to extend the signal indoors -- something that shouldn't be too difficult since LTE will be riding the old home-penetrating 700MHz analog TV signal. With LG demonstrating 60Mbps download speeds on the world's first LTE chips for cellphones and data cards yesterday, consider us packed and ready to move to the first city VZW lights up.

[Via PhoneScoop]

Filed under: Verizon Wireless, LTE

Tags: 2009, cto, dick lynch, DickLynch, femtocell, lte, verizon, verizon wireless, VerizonWireless, vzw

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

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codeyh82 @ Dec 10th 2008 9:19AM

I couldn't agree more. As someone that lives in a 'fringe' area, i'm eager to see the femtocells

Neutral

squiggleslash @ Dec 10th 2008 10:16AM

If it's a proper LTE implementation, with open phones and full SIM card support, I'll be very excited by this. I wonder if it's worth their while supporting R-UIMs and selling a few dual mode CDMA2000/LTE phones that have R-UIM support so LTE users aren't stuck with a hacked together environment?

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Toonces @ Dec 10th 2008 11:14AM

This just in...VZW announces pricing on LTE unlimited plans. 99.99 per month for the unlimited plan with a cap of 5gb. That's right...you'll get to your limit even faster with our new LTE product.

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Kenshinffx @ Dec 10th 2008 12:17PM

@ Toonces,

VZW caps the 5GB (just like everyone else I might add) because it's meant for mobile use.. WE never recommend that you use it as a replacement for a landline if you need that much bandwidth.

Besides, if you need mroe than 5GB, (I myself use 3 1/2) You are either

A. Doing something illegal, like pirating and downloading music and software or videos.

B. Streaming Media, Which isn't what the connection is meant to be used for, Just for mobile use of the internet. (which we ALSO tell you)

C. Or Downloading huge files for businesses, Like spreadsheets and Contracts. At which point We have a higher plan you can go to.

Spare me your Elaborate metaphors.. We tell you flat out what we recommend you use it for, It's not our fault if you decide to misuse it. How about Cricket, who's motto is "Truly Unlimited, Unlimited Savings" and at the very bottom of the webpage it says

"Use is subject to Excessive overage policy, Anything meeting or Exceeding 5GB will be treated in this policy and may be subject to Overage charges"

At least we make it clear.

Neutral

tra la la @ Dec 10th 2008 1:02PM

^ ^ ^ ^ what he said

I tell people direct and matter-of-factly that the service is designed for "normal" web use. While this can include music/video downloads and streaming media, it doesn't mean all day every day. I also educate on how to check usage, and what that the conversion for 5GB is approximately 5120MB.

And even more to the point, the information is available online, in-store, and on the paperwork you receive when you setup service. If people would just do their own damned research AND ask questions for things they still don't understand BEFOREHAND, then pissed off customers because of huge data bills would NOT happen.

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bernardino @ Dec 10th 2008 1:09PM

Seeing as how mobiles are becoming more and more like computers themselves, the idea of "mobile use" is going to go far beyond just browsing webpages. You can already stream from YouTube, with carriers going as far as installing YouTube apps on the very phones they sell.

Also, since Verizon's 700 MHz spectrum has the any phone, any app requirement, you can argue that not allowing an app that streams internet radio to run on their network would be a violation of the any app requirement.

Neutral

tra la la @ Dec 11th 2008 2:54AM

@ bernardino

actually, not so much. do you realize how much data it would take for a mobile phone to actually cross the 5GB barrier? you would literally have to be using it all day, every day, just to even come close. even with downloads of attachments in emails. and if you're using THAT much data on a phone, you have other issues besides a 5GB limit.

also, look at what Comcast has done with their cable internet - 250GB cap. And the reason for that is because that a very small minority of users (Comcast quoted "less than 1% of users) use an excessive amount of data.

yes, with things getting faster, you can get more data easily, but that still doesn't mean that the company can't protect itself from excessive (arguably ABUSIVE) usage.

Neutral

Sarah @ Dec 23rd 2008 2:32AM

VZW and other wireless carriers cap service because their networks weren't designed to handle continuous data loads the way wired ISP's are.

If you've ever lived in a neighborhood where 1 or 2 users are continously streaming data it ruins the data network for everyone else. My REV A card would go from 1.9 Mbps to 400 Kbps. It's generally around the same time each day that this happens.

If and when VZW can get a massive enough backhaul (very costly) and get LTE running in full force, there may be some changes down the road in terms to caps.... Faster upload and download speeds will likely mean we'll be capped but @ 30 or 40 GB's per month. But that is way off.....

Neutral

crashoverride @ Dec 12th 2008 6:07PM

I have to agree completely with the above comments. The 5 GB cap is no biggie. I use my EVDO modem daily for surfing and some moderate downloads and have NEVER come close to 5 GB. Please, don't play that "evil corporate greed" card here. Most people can replace their home with this, but if you worship bitotrrent (IE-you steal) or you are running a NAS array with IP access or whatever other super nerdy stuff, don't use this for primary access. I have a cable line at home for my NAS array, family's use, gaming and whatever. So, I use the EVDO when I am out. If you don't like the terms that VZ and Sprint give (and the AT-amp-T) then don't sign up and quit your whining. It's not like they ruined everyone's mobile broadband-for Sprint and VZ, it was combined less than two percent of subscribers that had any effect with the cap of 5 GB-so chill...

Neutral

Ehren G @ Dec 19th 2008 3:28AM

Um, "Verizon's unfortunately named executive VP and CTO, Dick Lynch"

Did anyone else get that? Hellllllo Light Reading-reading nerds?

Dick Lynch!! hahahah, I said it again!!! HAHAHAHAH!