During the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Media, Entertainment & Communications conference on Thursday, AT&T’s chief financial officer John Stephens said that AT&T will activate its 4G LTE network in its first five markets on Sunday, FierceWireless reported. The network has been active as part of a soft launch in the AT&T’s five markets, which include Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, and we have already seen a few glimpses of what the network is capable of. We published an exclusive video on September 6th which showed the HTC Jetstream 4G tablet achieving download speeds around 22Mbps and screenshots of a 4G modem achieving 13Mbps download speeds in Chicago. In addition, we saw the same modem reaching speeds up to 25Mbps in Atlanta. AT&T hopes to activate its network in 15 total markets and launch its first LTE smartphone by the end of the year.

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Following BGR’s exclusive report on Monday revealing that AT&T’s 4G LTE network has gone live in Chicago, we have received new images confirming that the network is alive and kicking in Atlanta as well. A source has provided BGR with multiple images of AT&T’s 4G LTE service in action, and we have verified that the tester is indeed located in Atlanta, Georgia. Our source in Chicago had trouble finding full service, but Atlanta seems to be blanketed a bit better at this pre-launch stage. Using an AT&T Elevate 4G LTE mobile hotspot, our tester in Atlanta saw download speeds approach 25Mbps and upload speeds in excess of 8Mbps — much faster than the already speedy tests we saw up north. Again, these pre-launch tests do not necessarily represent the data speeds AT&T subscribers will see when the 4G LTE network officially goes live this summer. And just as was the case in Chicago, it is unclear if AT&T’s 4G LTE network has been soft launched in Atlanta or if service will only appear intermittently while the network is being tested. Images showing AT&T 4G LTE speed tests in Atlanta can be seen in our photo gallery, which is linked below.

AT&T announced on Tuesday that its first 4G LTE devices, including the USBConnect Momentum 4G and the Mobile Hotspot Elevate 4G, will be available in-store and online later this month. The USBConnect Momentum 4G and Mobile Hotspot Elevate 4G will launch on August 21st for $49.99 and $69.99, respectively, each with a new two-year agreement and after a $50 mail-in rebate. AT&T’s existing USBConnect Adrenaline modem will receive a software update on August 26th that will add support for the carrier’s 4G LTE network. AT&T will charge $50 per month for a 5GB data plan on its LTE network and any additional data past the 5GB cap will cost $10 per gigabyte. AT&T’s LTE network will first launch in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio this summer, and will eventually expand to at least 15 markets later this year.

AT&T senior vice president of mobility and consumer markets Pete Ritcher took the stage during the Oppenheimer Technology and Communications Conference on Wednesday, where he confirmed that AT&T will launch its first 4G LTE smartphone by the end of this year. Ritcher reaffirmed AT&T’s intention to deploy its LTE network in 15 markets covering 70 million people by the end of 2011, and it hopes to continue its roll-out on a market-by-market basis, Fierce Wireless reported. AT&T will initially only offer laptop cards alongside the new LTE network, and AT&T is expected to launch 4G LTE in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio this summer. “We are the only carrier with LTE and HSPA+,” Ritcher said. “When you don’t have LTE you will fall back to faster speeds than our competitors,” he added, noting that Verizon’s 4G customers fall back to the slower EV-DO network when LTE is not available.

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AT&T confirmed on Wednesday that it will deploy its 4G LTE network in five markets this summer, including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. The carrier did not specify additional markets slated to be rolled out in 2011, but it did say 10 additional markets will be deployed this year and 70 million Americans will be covered by the end of 2011. By contrast, Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network is currently available in 55 markets and it expects to deploy in 23 more markets next month. AT&T said it expects its network to offer LTE data speeds on a par with its competitors. Hit the break for AT&T’s full press release.

AT&T’s 4G Evolution

Dallas, Texas, May 25, 2011

By John Donovan, AT&T Chief Technology Officer

AT&T has delivered five mobile broadband speed upgrades in recent years, including our HSPA+ deployment last year. And average nationwide speeds on the AT&T network have increased – more than 40 percent over the past two years alone.

The next network evolution will arrive this summer with the addition of LTE in five markets – Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Atlanta and San Antonio. We plan to add another 10 or more markets in the second half of the year, and cover 70 million Americans with LTE by year-end. We also have plans to add 20 4G devices to our robust device portfolio this year, with some of those being LTE capable.

We’re positioning to deliver a great mobile broadband experience in the near term with HSPA+ and a growing LTE footprint.

We’ve invested $75 billion in our wireless and wired networks over the last four years – more capital invested in the U.S. than any company in any industry. And we plan to invest $19 billion in our wireless and wireline networks and other capital projects this year. The investments we’ve made to evolve our mobile broadband network in recent years, plus what we have planned for the future, put our customers in position to benefit fully from a host of coming mobile broadband innovations.

Multiple cities have signed on to celebrate “Foursquare Day” on April 16th, but none as prominently as New York City. NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg has declared April 16th “Foursquare Day” in New York City to celebrate the company and its success — but also to attract new startups to the area. “There is no better place than New York City to start a business,” Bloomberg’s office said. “We are the most exciting and most dynamic place on the market, an international capital of the arts, fashion, and finance. With Foursquare leading the way, we look forward to this generation’s innovators and entrepreneurs making their mark on our City in the years to come.” Foursquare was founded in New York City in 2007 by co-founders Dennis Crowley and Naveen Selvadurai, and the company currently keeps its headquarters there. The social network says it has over 8 million users worldwide and adds roughly 35,000 users each day. If you haven’t tried it yet yet, you’re not too late. The latest version launched early last month and added a ton of useful features, including better specials. Oh, and if you’re wondering why Bloomberg chose the 16th specifically, it’s because four squared is 16 (and April is the fourth month).

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An Associate Press video posted on YouTube demonstrates another reason why HTC’s DROID Incredible is, well… incredible. John Garber was exiting Club Halo in Atlanta, were he works as a valet, when he suddenly became caught in a hail of gunfire. Two patrons who had been thrown out of the establishment got into an argument outside the club that ultimately lead to a short shoot-out. Mr. Garber was struck in the chest by a bullet, which penetrated his coat and was ultimately stopped by the battery of his HTC DROID Incredible. The above image is a chilling reminder of how lucky Mr. Garber is. Hit the jump to check out the video, complete with the owner’s first-hand account. DROID does… stop bullets.

UPDATE: While it was unclear from the original AP video/report which mobile device Mr Garber was using — we assumed the DROID Incredible because of the battery color, size — it has been made clear by subsequent, local news reports that the device in question was actually the HTC EVO 4G from Sprint. We apologize for the misinformation.

Today at CTIA, Verizon Wireless announced that its next generation, LTE, 4G network will cover 38 major U.S. cities and 60 additional airports by the end of 2010. Some of the initial cities getting LTE include: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. The official press release, with a full list of cities an airports, is after the break.

Verizon Launches 4G LTE In 38 Major Metropolitan Areas by the End of the Year

4G LTE Network Also in Airports in Key Cities Outside of Initial Launch Area

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 6 /PRNewswire/ – Verizon underscored its rapid deployment of the world’s first large-scale 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network today from the CTIA Enterprise & Applications™ 2010 conference. Lowell McAdam, president and chief operating officer of Verizon, detailed the company’s major network launch in 38 major metropolitan areas, covering more than 110 million Americans, by the end of the year. In addition, the company is launching 4G LTE in more than 60 commercial airports coast to coast – both the airports within the launch areas plus airports in other key cities.

McAdam said, “We are driven by the vision to provide ubiquitous wireless broadband connectivity and mobility to rural and urban Americans alike. With our initial 4G LTE launch, we will immediately reach more than one-third of all Americans where they live, right from the start. And, we will quickly introduce 4G LTE throughout the Verizon coverage area.”

McAdam highlighted the metropolitan areas for the initial launch, which include:

• Large sections of the Northeast Corridor, including Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and
• Washington, D.C. as well as Rochester, New York
• Throughout Miami and south Florida, Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and New Orleans as well as
• Charlotte, North Carolina and Nashville, Tennessee
• Chicagoland, St. Louis, the Twin Cities, Pittsburgh and major cities in Ohio
• Major population centers in California as well as Seattle, Phoenix, Denver and Las Vegas

Verizon Wireless is building its 4G LTE network with the same commitment to performance and reliability for which it has long been recognized. Verizon Wireless’ laser focus on reliability is based on rigid engineering standards and a disciplined deployment approach year after year.

Enterprise users, businesses and individuals can immediately benefit from Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network this year. While Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network promises much more than speed, the first application gives employees the ability to work at significantly faster speeds and improved latency, increasing productivity and the opportunity to get work done where their business takes them.

McAdam continued, “Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network will also be available in the commercial airports in the 38 metropolitan areas, plus we’re launching airports in other key cities coast to coast, giving road warriors added coverage when they travel. Every time we’ve built a next generation network, our customers have seen real benefits to their bottom lines. Taking advantage of the first large-scale LTE network on the globe gives our customers a competitive advantage.”

Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE rollout positions the company to be the global leader in 4G LTE deployment. Verizon Wireless expects 4G LTE average data rates to be 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) on the downlink and 2 to 5 Mbps on the uplink in real-world, loaded network environments. These speeds are significantly faster than Verizon Wireless and other wireless providers’ current or promised 3G network speeds.

By leveraging its 700 MHz spectrum for LTE deployment in the United States, Verizon Wireless is capable of quickly deploying a high-quality wireless broadband network with excellent coverage. The company is currently installing LTE equipment at existing cell sites and switching centers around the United States as part of its extensive, ongoing investment in its voice and data network infrastructure.

In addition to the 38 major metropolitan areas, Verizon Wireless is launching its 4G LTE network in West Lafayette, Ind., home of Purdue University. The public university is using several innovative software applications on Verizon Wireless’ 3G network that improve student engagement and success, and Verizon Wireless is working with Purdue to explore the next phase of how 4G LTE technology can improve e-learning across the nation.

Visit www.verizonwireless.com/lte for more information about Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network.

Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Initial Major Metropolitan Area Deployment

• Akron, Ohio
• Athens, Georgia
• Atlanta, Georgia
• Baltimore, Maryland
• Boston, Massachusetts
• Charlotte, North Carolina
• Chicago, Illinois
• Cincinnati, Ohio
• Cleveland, Ohio
• Columbus, Ohio
• Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Dallas, Texas
• Denver, Colorado
• Fort Lauderdale, Florida
• Houston, Texas
• Jacksonville, Florida
• Las Vegas, Nevada
• Los Angeles, California
• Miami, Florida
• Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Minnesota
• Nashville, Tennessee
• New Orleans, Louisiana
• New York, New York
• Oakland, California
• Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• Orlando, Florida
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Phoenix, Arizona
• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Rochester, New York
• San Antonio, Texas
• San Diego, California
• San Francisco, California
• San Jose, California
• Seattle/Tacoma, Washington
• St. Louis, Missouri
• Tampa, Florida
• Washington, D.C.
• West Lafayette, Indiana
• West Palm Beach, Florida

Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Initial Commercial Airport Deployment (Airport Name, City, State)

• Austin Bergstrom International, Austin, Texas
• Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshal, Glen Burnie, Maryland
• Bob Hope, Burbank, California
• Boeing Field/King County International, Seattle, Washington
• Charlotte/Douglas International, Charlotte, North Carolina
• Chicago Midway International, Chicago, Illinois
• Chicago O’Hare International, Chicago, Illinois
• Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International, Covington, Kentucky
• Cleveland-Hopkins International, Cleveland, Ohio
• Dallas Love Field, Dallas, Texas
• Dallas/Fort Worth International, Fort Worth, Texas
• Denver International, Denver, Colorado
• Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
• George Bush Intercontinental/Houston, Houston, Texas
• Greater Rochester International, Rochester, New York
• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, Atlanta, Georgia
• Honolulu International, Honolulu, Hawaii
• Jacksonville International, Jacksonville, Florida
• John F. Kennedy International, New York, New York
• John Wayne Airport-Orange County, Santa Ana, California
• Kansas City International, Kansas City, Missouri
• La Guardia, New York, New York
• Lambert-St. Louis International, St. Louis, Missouri
• Laurence G. Hanscom Field, Bedford, Massachusetts
• Long Beach/Daugherty Field, Long Beach, California
• Los Angeles International, Los Angeles, California
• Louis Armstrong New Orleans International, Metairie, Louisiana
• McCarran International, Las Vegas, Nevada
• Memphis International, Memphis, Tennessee
• Metropolitan Oakland International, Oakland, California
• Miami International, Miami, Florida
• Minneapolis-St. Paul International/Wold-Chamberlain, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Nashville International, Nashville, Tennessee
• New Castle, Wilmington, North Carolina
• Newark Liberty International, Newark, New Jersey
• Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International, San Jose, California
• North Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada
• Orlando International, Orlando, Florida
• Orlando Sanford International, Sanford, Florida
• Palm Beach International, West Palm Beach, Florida
• Philadelphia International, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Phoenix Sky Harbor International, Phoenix, Arizona
• Phoenix-Mesa Gateway, Mesa, Arizona
• Pittsburgh International, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Port Columbus International, Columbus, Ohio
• Portland International, Portland, Oregon
• Rickenbacker International, Columbus, Ohio
• Ronald Reagan Washington National, Arlington, Virginia
• Sacramento International, Sacramento, California
• Salt Lake City International, Salt Lake City, Utah
• San Antonio International, San Antonio, Texas
• San Diego International, San Diego, California
• San Francisco International, San Francisco, California
• Seattle-Tacoma International, Seattle, Washington
• St. Augustine, Saint Augustine, Florida
• St. Petersburg-Clearwater International, Clearwater, Florida
• Tampa International, Tampa, Florida
• Teterboro, Teterboro, New Jersey
• Trenton Mercer, Trenton, New Jersey
• Washington Dulles International, Dulles International Airport, Washington, D.C.
• Will Rogers World, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• William P. Hobby, Houston, Texas

  
  

As the line between Clearwire and Sprint’s 4G services continues to get more confusing with each passing day, we can at least take solace in knowing that WiMAX is progressing somewhere in the country. Corny and redundant press release titles aside, Sprint announced yesterday that its 4G services are now live and ready to rock in three “new” markets: Las Vegas, NV; Portland, OR and Atlanta, GA. The announcement comes two days later than the leaked WiMAX roadmap indicated earlier this month but we’d say it’s now safe to assume the rest of the list will pan out as it suggests — provided Sprint stays on schedule, of course. In terms of pricing, Sprint’s mobile broadband plan with a 4G cherry on top will run you $69.99 per month for unlimited 4G (includes 5GB of 3G data) and $10 day passes are available.

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Oh hi, 4G. Despite already having been live for over a month now, Clearwire has just made WiMAX’s presence in Atlanta, Georgia official. One of over 15 cities that are covered or will be covered between now and the end of 2010, Atlanta might be considered the biggest launch to date. With 1,200 square miles and approximately 3 million people now covered in Atlanta, the city is also a major hub for air travel in the US. In fact, this WiMAX launch is made even more significant by the fact Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is constantly plagued with massive delays. Got eight hours before your connecting flight will actually take off and don’t feel like rewarding the airport by paying for Wi-Fi while it makes you wait? WiMAX subscribers are good to go. As far as pricing goes, Atlanta lines up with other WiMAX-covered territories; home Internet plans start at $20 per month, mobile plans start at $40 per month and day passes are available for $10.

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