Verizon completes its first successful 4G test

By: JP Smith | Published: August 18, 2009

Categories: Business, Mobile

Here, in Cincinnati, I am still waiting on my carrier, T-Mobile, to actually bring a 3G network.  We are still on the old EDGE technology and data rates are slow, to say the least.

So, to add to my depression (and my envy), Verizon announced that it has had a round of successful testing of its 4G LTE network.  For those unfamiliar with what 4G is, first of all, it is an abbreviation for a 4th-generation network.  What this means for consumers is greater bandwith, allowing for more calls per cell and a proposed speed of between 100 mbits/s to 1 Gbit/s, depending on whether or not the party in question is moving at a high rate of speed relative to the station.

Or, more importantly, this means that you can uses the internet, and related technologies, at higher speeds with greater efficiency.

In addition to testing voice, Verizon testing video stream, file transfers and Voice-over-IP (VOIP) calls and were satified with the results they've received thus far.  Verizon looks to make this network available in select markets in 2010 and proposes a full rollout in 2013.

In contrast, my poor old T-Mobile is rumored to be making 3G available in my city the second quarter of 2009 which, if you're counting, has less than 2 weeks left.

All kidding aside, right now, the only real competition to Verizon's LTE is WIMAX, which is a collaboration of ClearWire and Sprint.  So, clearly, 4G is very close to becoming a reality for the mobile market.

Something tells me that we will soon be seeing another shakeup in the market as users will be expecting to get more out the mobile devices they purchase and expect their providers to meet these needs.  We know where Verizon and Sprint are headed.  I wonder where the rest will go.