Verizon to Upgrade to 4G Network Soon

UPDATED 17:25 EDT / OCTOBER 06 2010

Verizon to Upgrade to 4G Network Soon

Verizon is launching 4G in a bunch of cities. This network upgrading and expansion plan was announced by the company president, Lowell McAdam, at a trade show today. The network will use Long-Term Evolution technology (LTE), stretching across 38 markets right out the gate. That’s a tad higher than what Verizon was planning for, putting them that much further ahead of schedule. The Wall street Journal reports

The carrier expects to turn its LTE network in 38 markets by year end, including major cities such as New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Boston. Mr. McAdam, said he expects to cover two-thirds of the U.S. population in the next 18 months, with full nationwide coverage by 2013.

This brings competition for Sprint’s 4G network, which has a somewhat slower roll-out schedule. Verizon is really looking to leap ahead here, getting in front of the market. But this strategy is not void of risks. Verizon’s biggest concern would be availability and popularity of compatible devices for LTE. The president of the company seemed pretty optimistic about this. In his address he said “We are building it, and they are showing up in droves” about handset and other device manufacturers.

Today has been pretty noteworthy for Verizon, with news of the CDMA iPhone for Verizon deal. This just emphasizes Verizon’s various upcoming demnds for multiple network options.

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