Verizon Wireless is kicking off 2012 by flipping the LTE switch in five new markets and expanding in three current markets. On Thursday, January 19th, the company will turn on its 4G LTE network in Glens Falls and Utica, NY; Lawton, OK; and Brownsville and McAllen, TX. Verizon will also be expanding its network in Atlanta, Houston and Spokane. “As we enter 2012, Verizon’s 4G LTE network remains the largest by far in the United States, and we continue to grow the network and bring Verizon’s unparalleled 4G LTE services to more and more people,” said Verizon’s chief technical officer David Small. Verizon’s 4G LTE network now covers more than 200 million people in 195 different markets. Read on for the carrier’s press release.

Verizon Continues To Grow Its 4G LTE Network, Launching Service In Five New Markets And Expanding In Three Others On Jan. 19 

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Verizon Wireless, owner of the nation’s fastest 4G network, is kicking off 2012 by turning on 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) in five new markets and expanding the network in three others on Jan. 19. The continued growth of the 4G LTE network represents Verizon’s commitment to strengthening and enhancing the network and delivering the highest performance and reliability for its customers.

Following the launches on Jan. 19, more than 200 million people in 195 markets across the United States can take advantage of the blazingly fast speeds offered by Verizon’s 4G LTE network. Customers can choose from a wide variety of 4G LTE devices, including the Spectrum™ by LG, available starting tomorrow. The Spectrum by LG was one of six new 4G LTE devices announced at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). From the expanded 4G LTE DROID family, to the new Samsung Galaxy Tab™ 7.7 and the Verizon Jetpacks™, Verizon Wireless now offers something for everyone on its 4G LTE network.

On Thursday, Jan. 19, the company will turn on its 4G LTE network in Glens Falls and Utica, N.Y.; Lawton, Okla.; and Brownsville and McAllen, Texas. The company is also expanding its network on Jan. 19 in Atlanta, Houston and Spokane, Wash.

“As we enter 2012, Verizon’s 4G LTE network remains the largest by far in the United States, and we continue to grow the network and bring Verizon’s unparalleled 4G LTE services to more and more people,” said David Small, chief technical officer of Verizon Wireless.

4G LTE Speed and Coverage

In real-world, fully loaded network environments, 4G LTE users should experience average data rates of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) on the downlink and 2 to 5 Mbps on the uplink. When customers travel outside of a 4G LTE coverage area, devices automatically connect to Verizon Wireless’ 3G network, enabling customers to stay connected from coast to coast. Verizon Wireless’ 3G network is the most reliable high-speed data network in the country and allows customers in 3G coverage areas who purchase 4G LTE devices today to take advantage of 4G LTE speeds when the faster network becomes available in their area, or when they travel to an area already covered by 4G LTE.

Apple’s iPad is currently responsible for 15% of all mobile traffic according to new research published recently by Chitika. While the iPad’s lead in the tablet market is obvious, it’s becoming more clear there’s strong competition for market share below it. The Amazon Kindle Fire represented an average of 2.4 ad impressions on Chitikas network for every 100 iPad impressions, but RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook wasn’t far behind; it viewed an average of 1.8 ad impressions for every 100 iPad impressions on Chitika’s mobile ad network. That’s followed closely by the Samsung Galaxy with 1.6 ad impressions and the Motorola XOOM with 1.55 ad impressions. Chitika wasn’t clear which Samsung model was included in the study but we presume it was the Galaxy Tab 10.1. ”Despite the iPad’s stronghold in the tablet market, other tablets are continuing to carve out and hold their own places – a trend that is continuing even past the expected gains that the holiday season brought,” Chitika said. “It has taken some time for other players to elbow their way in to the market, but with these tablets paving the way and the demand for tablets continuing to grow, perhaps the coming year will bring more opportunities for other players to enter the field and bring their own innovations to the table.”

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LightSquared and former FCC chief engineer Edmond Thomas on Wednesday said the GPS test devices that were used by the National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing Executive Committee (PNT EXCOM) to test its new network were rigged by “manufacturers of GPS receivers and government end users to produce bogus results.” The company said that devices from GPS manufacturers, which have claimed LightSquared’s network interferes with GPS communications, were “cherry picked” in secret and that independent authorities were not allowed to partake or oversee the tests or test results. In addition, LightSquared said the tests focused on obsolete technology that is only used in “niche market devices” and that are “least able to withstand potential interference” from wireless networks. Read on for more.

After a list of the test devices was released to LightSquared, the company found that the only mass market device that reportedly failed the government’s tests actually “performed flawlessly during Technical Working Group” testing. The government also reportedly tested LightSquared’s network at a power level that is 32-times greater than the level at which it will actually operate.

LightSquared is relying on FCC approval to solidify a contract with Sprint to help build out the carrier’s 4G LTE network. Sprint most recently gave LightSquared an additional 30 days to gain FCC approval, but the government has said none of LightSquared’s proposed fixes will help it gain approval.

“Transparency is the only way taxpayers can be assured that the testing process is not manipulated to benefit one particular set of self interests,” the company said in a statement on Wednesday. “LightSquared is confident that a fair process will allow the company to move forward with its plan to deliver wireless broadband to hundreds of millions of consumers.” LightSquared’s full press release follows below.

Former FCC Chief Engineer and LightSquared Question Validity of Test Results Rigged by GPS Industry Insiders

After learning that some devices tested have been out of production for over a decade, the parties call on NTIA to objectively audit testing and apply proposed mitigation standards

RESTON, Va., January 18, 2012 – LightSquared said today that the process used to test GPS devices by Air Force Space Command on behalf of the Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Executive Committee (PNT EXCOM) was rigged by manufacturers of GPS receivers and government end users to produce bogus results, and revealed details of the testing to document its accusations.

PNT EXCOM advises and coordinates among U.S. government agencies on GPS matters and is comprised of representatives from those agencies with GPS expertise. LightSquared has called on the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to objectively re-evaluate this initial round of testing and also to evaluate mitigation proposals the company has proposed. Additionally, the company has called on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the NTIA to conduct the second round of tests on high-precision devices at an independent laboratory to ensure objectivity and transparency.

In a call with reporters, Jeff Carlisle, LightSquared’s Executive Vice President, Regulatory Affairs and Public Policy; and Geoff Stearn, LightSquared’s Vice President for Spectrum Development; outlined how GPS industry insiders and government end users manipulated the latest round of tests to generate biased results. Also on the call was Edmond Thomas, former chief engineer at the FCC who explained how fair and accurate testing should be conducted.

1. Testing was shrouded in secrecy, no transparency. The GPS manufacturers cherry-picked the devices in secret without any independent oversight authority in place or input from LightSquared. The GPS manufacturers and the government end users put non-disclosure agreements in place for the PNT EXCOM’s tests, preventing any input by an independent authority or from LightSquared before the tests began. This secrecy made it impossible for independent experts to properly oversee or challenge the process and results, thereby leaving taxpayers who paid for the testing no option but to take the PNT EXCOM’s word for it.

2. The testing protocol deliberately focused on obsolete and niche market devices that were least able to withstand potential interference. When LightSquared finally obtained a list of the devices tested, after all testing in this first phase of tests had been completed, it was able to determine that the testing included many discontinued or niche market devices with poor filters or no filters. The units tested represent less than one percent of the contemporary universe of GPS devices. In fact, the only mass market device alleged to “fail” during this round of testing performed flawlessly during the Technical Working Group testing, which used best practice protocols agreed to by all parties, thus raising doubts about the integrity of PNT EXCOM’s process.

3. The testing standard does not reflect reality. To guarantee favorable results, the PNT EXCOM selected an extremely conservative definition of failure – one dB of interference. Independent experts agree that a one dB threshold can only be detected in laboratory settings and has no impact on GPS positional accuracy or user experience. In fact, GPS devices are designed with the ability to withstand eight dB or more of loss of sensitivity due to man-caused and natural interference. By setting the definition of interference at one dB, the testing was rigged to ensure that most receivers would fail. It should be noted that PNT EXCOM and others have justified the one dB threshold by citing an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) standard. However, that standard explicitly states that it does not apply to general purpose GPS receivers.

GPS and government end users should have opened the process for transparent review, chosen a representative sample of devices that reflect the scope of general purpose GPS receivers in the marketplace today, applied best practice standards to the testing protocol, and – most importantly, the tests should have been conducted by an independent laboratory rather than by the GPS manufacturers themselves, since they had a large incentive to ensure that the tested receivers would not pass the testing.

LightSquared recommends that reporters consider asking PNT EXCOM the following questions to ensure accountability:

Why did the government choose to ignore LightSquared’s proposed power levels?

Why did the government choose a power level 32 times greater than the level at which LightSquared will operate?

Why did the test protocol select the 1dB degradation to noise as the interference standard, since it does not apply to general purpose GPS receivers and GPS units are typically designed with an 8dB level of tolerance?

Who determined what acceptable interference is for the current round of testing?

What is that standard?

Why was the testing conducted using outdated/discontinued devices rather than a representative sample of what is currently in the market?

Isn’t it a violation of conflict of interest laws for representatives of GPS manufacturers to sit on the PNT advisory board and play a central role in its consideration of LightSquared when those companies are actively lobbying on the same issue?

Is it fair that taxpayers funded a testing regime they cannot review?

LightSquared has agreed to meet every technical guideline requested by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), FCC and NTIA and will continue to work in collaboration with the federal government to resolve the GPS interference issues. The secretive behavior of the PNT EXCOM indicates a co-opted process. The inappropriate influence of the private sector on their decision-making has been brought to the attention of NASA’s Inspector General in a separate conflict of interest complaint filed by LightSquared.

LightSquared is asking for fair and transparent oversight of the testing process by the FCC and NTIA, much like the agencies provided in the first round of testing that was openly agreed to by all parties. Transparency is the only way taxpayers can be assured that the testing process is not manipulated to benefit one particular set of self interests. LightSquared is confident that a fair process will allow the company to move forward with its plan to deliver wireless broadband to hundreds of millions of consumers.

Verizon Wireless was the first major carrier to launch its super fast 4G LTE network in the United States. Being the first comes with its fair share of problems, however. Earlier this week Verizon’s 4G LTE network suffered its third major outage in the month of December. In an interview with GigaOM, Verizon Wireless vice president of Network Engineering Mike Haberman responded with:

Being the pioneers, we’re going to experience some growing pains. These issues we’ve been experiencing are certainly regrettable but they were unforeseeable.

Haberman went on to blame all three outages on the process of replacing old signaling architectures used in 2G and 3G networks while on 4G, known as the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS). Ever since April, IMS has caused problems leading to network failures. After fixing various software bugs, users were able to again reconnect to 3G EV-DO and 4G LTE services. However, the IMS glitches returned in December and have caused the company headaches. The first outage on December 7th was caused by the failure of a back-up communications database. The second, last week, was the result of an IMS element not responding properly, while Wednesday’s outage was caused by two IMS elements not communicating properly, Haberman told GigaOM. In a statement released by the company, Verizon says that it will not rest until their 4G LTE network performs at the highest levels that customers have come to expect.

Read [GigaOM] Read [Verizon]

LTE quickly became one of the most talked about wireless topics this year, but before 2011 it was a term most consumers probably had never heard of. A standard developed by the Third-Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), long-term evolution (LTE) is a progression of UMTS/HSPA and GSM/EDGE networks. Just a year ago, 4G LTE wasn’t available to the general U.S. public and now, as we begin to enter 2012, a massive chunk of the U.S. population has access to it. 4G spread like a wildfire during 2011, so let’s take a look at some of this year’s LTE highlights.

Verizon Wireless kicked off the year with a handful of 4G LTE announcements during the Consumer Electronics Show in January. Two months later, in March, it became the first major U.S. wireless network to launch a 4G LTE handset, the HTC ThunderBolt. AT&T and T-Mobile meanwhile struggled to compete with Verizon’s 4G marketing and as a result, they advertised their slower HSPA+ networks as “4G.” That move no doubt contributed to the confusion surrounding 4G.

As the year went on, Verizon’s network continued to expand. The HTC ThunderBolt received praise for its speed, although it was clear that the technology needed to move LTE’s faster data took a toll on the phone’s battery life. Data speeds shocked reviewers, which noted that in some cases, Verizon’s network was capable of outpacing an average home’s cable Internet connection. Verizon maintained its momentum all year long and it blanketed the United States with its new network quicker than it had originally planned. Verizon now covers 200 million people in 190 markets with 4G LTE service.

AT&T wasn’t sitting still in 2011, either. It followed Verizon by launching its first LTE markets in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, New York, San Antonio, Boston and Washington, D.C. While Verizon offers a larger network, AT&T’s has been ruled faster in at least one study, but it’s not uncommon for AT&T or Verizon users to see speeds nearly 10-times that of 3G networks. AT&T only offers three 4G LTE handsets right now, although we expect that figure to increase rapidly next year.

Sprint lagged behind Verizon and AT&T in 2011, both in terms of 4G and overall data speeds, but it now has a strategy in place to switch from WiMAX to LTE. The carrier will deploy its own 4G LTE network next year and has promised to launch several handsets by the second half of 2012. Sprint has already hit a few snags along the way, however. It’s planning to deploy at least part of the new network in the 1600MHz frequency spectrum in partnership with LightSquared, which has been the subject of GPS interference concerns for years now. While LightSquared has argued that it already fixed GPS interference problems, the U.S. government still refuses to grant the company its safety blessing. Luckily, Sprint has a new 4G LTE agreement with Clearwire, too.

T-Mobile was the only major U.S. carrier that failed to discuss its 4G LTE plans in 2011. Its efforts were no doubt stifled by AT&T’s failed acquisition of the carrier from Deutsche Telekom. Thankfully, AT&T’s breakup fee includes $3 billion in cash, fresh AWS spectrum and a 7-year 3G roaming agreement with AT&T. Perhaps it can use those assets to work towards deploying an LTE network of its own.

The 2011 Consumer Electronics Show was just a sample of 4G LTE. Here we are nearly 12 months later and more than two-thirds of the U.S. population has access to the faster data network. We’ll no doubt see dozens of new handsets and plenty of other products taking advantage of 4G LTE during this year’s show, which begins in a few short weeks.

It will be exciting to watch 4G expand in 2012 as AT&T and Verizon continue to add markets and Sprint’s LTE network begins to roll out. We also might finally see a 4G iPhone launch in 2012 — we know that Qualcomm’s Gobi 4000 platform, which Apple has reportedly been waiting for, recently started shipping to manufacturers — and both RIM and Microsoft will see the first round of 4G LTE smartphones launch on each of their platforms this year.

We received a number of reports this morning from Verizon Wireless customers complaining that the carrier’s 4G LTE network was down in various parts of the country, and Verizon has confirmed that the network is now returning to normal after the outage. “Verizon Wireless 4G LTE service is returning to normal this morning after company engineers worked to resolve an issue with the 4G network during the early morning hours today,” a Verizon spokesperson said in a statement to The Verge. “Throughout this time, 4G LTE customers were able to make voice calls and send and receive text messages. The 3G data network operated normally.” This is the second time that Verizon Wireless’s 4G LTE network has suffered a nationwide outage this year.

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Verizon Wireless announced Wednesday that it will activate its 4G LTE network in 11 new markets on Thursday, December 15th. The carrier will also expand its coverage in 7 existing LTE markets. Verizon’s 4G LTE network will blanket a total of more than 200 million people in 190 U.S. markets following Thursday’s roll-out. The new markets include: Dover, Del.; Lafayette, Ind.; Fitchburg/Leominster, Mass.; Duluth, The Rochester Area and St. Cloud, Minn.; Manchester/Nashua, N.H.; Poughkeepsie, N.Y.; Findlay/Tiffin and Youngstown/Warren, Ohio; and Indiana, Pa. Verizon will also expand its existing LTE networks in San Diego and San Francisco, Ca.; Washington, D.C.; Savannah, Ga.; Chicagoland, Ill.; and Baltimore and Hagerstown, Md. “Introducing the 4G LTE network has been the fastest rollout of any next-generation network in our history,” Verizon Wireless CTO David Small said. “In one year and 10 days, we have brought 4G LTE to more than 200 million people. That’s more than twice as fast as our 3G network rollout.” Verizon’s full press release follows after the break. 

VERIZON INTRODUCES 4G LTE FASTER THAN ANY NEW NETWORK TECHNOLOGY IN THE COMPANY’S HISTORY, NOW COVERING MORE THAN 200 MILLION PEOPLE

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – Verizon Wireless, owner of the nation’s fastest 4G network, is turning on 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) in 11 new markets and making expansions in seven markets on Dec. 15, bringing blazingly fast speeds to more than 200 million people in 190 markets across the United States.  The company offers a broad array of 4G LTE-enabled devices, including notebooks and netbooks; hotspots and modems; and smartphones and tablets, such as the two new DROID XYBOARD tablets by Motorola, to connect to the largest 4G LTE network in the nation.

On Thursday, Dec. 15, the company will turn on its 4G LTE network in Dover, Del.; Lafayette, Ind.; Fitchburg/Leominster, Mass.; Duluth, The Rochester Area and St. Cloud, Minn.; Manchester/Nashua, N.H.; Poughkeepsie, N.Y.; Findlay/Tiffin and Youngstown/Warren, Ohio; and Indiana, Pa.  The company is also making expansions on Dec. 15 in San Diego and San Francisco; Washington, D.C.; Savannah, Ga.; Chicagoland, Ill.; and Baltimore and Hagerstown, Md.

“Introducing the 4G LTE network has been the fastest rollout of any next-generation network in our history.  In one year and 10 days, we have brought 4G LTE to more than 200 million people.  That’s more than twice as fast as our 3G network rollout,” said David Small, chief technical officer of Verizon Wireless.

4G LTE Speed and Coverage

In real-world, fully loaded network environments, 4G LTE users should experience average data rates of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) on the downlink and 2 to 5 Mbps on the uplink.  When customers travel outside of a 4G LTE coverage area, devices automatically connect to Verizon Wireless’ 3G network, enabling customers to stay connected from coast to coast.  Verizon Wireless’ 3G network is the most reliable high-speed data network in the country and allows customers in 3G coverage areas who purchase 4G LTE devices today to take advantage of 4G LTE speeds when the faster network becomes available in their area, or when they travel to an area already covered by 4G LTE.

4G LTE Markets

On Dec. 15, Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network will be available to more than 200 million Americans in 190 markets, including:

·         Birmingham, Ala.

·         Decatur, Ala.

·         Huntsville, Ala.

·         Mobile, Ala.

·         Montgomery, Ala.

·         Phoenix, Ariz.

·         Tucson, Ariz.

·         Fayetteville/Springdale/Rogers, Ark.

·         Fort Smith, Ark.

·         Jonesboro/Paragould, Ark.

·         Little Rock, Ark.

·         Bakersfield, Calif.

·         Fresno, Calif.

·         Los Angeles, Calif.

·         Modesto, Calif.

·         Oakland, Calif.

·         Sacramento, Calif.

·         Salinas/Monterey/Seaside, Calif.

·         San Diego, Calif.

·         San Francisco, Calif.

·         San Jose, Calif.

·         San Luis Obispo, Calif.

·         Santa Barbara, Calif.

·         Stockton, Calif.

·         Colorado Springs, Colo.

·         Denver, Colo.

·         Fort Collins, Colo.

·         Greater Fairfield and New Haven, Conn.

·         Hartford, Conn.

·         Dover, Del.

·         Washington, D.C.

·         Daytona, Fla.

·         Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

·         Ft. Myers, Fla.

·         Gainesville, Fla.

·         Jacksonville, Fla.

·         Lakeland, Fla.

·         Miami, Fla.

·         Orlando, Fla.

·         Pensacola, Fla.

·         Sarasota/Bradenton, Fla.

·         Tallahassee, Fla.

·         Tampa, Fla.

·         West Palm Beach, Fla.

·         Athens, Ga.

·         Atlanta, Ga.

·         Augusta, Ga.

·         Savannah, Ga.

·         Hilo, Hawaii

·         Honolulu, Hawaii

·         Kahului/Wailuku, Hawaii

·         Lahaina, Hawaii

·         Boise, Idaho

·         Bloomington, Ill.

·         Carbondale, Ill.

·         Champaign/Urbana, Ill.

·         Chicago, Ill.

·         Rockford, Ill.

·         Springfield, Ill.

·         The Quad Cities, Ill./Iowa

·         Bloomington/Bedford, Ind.

·         Elkhart, Ind.

·         Evansville, Ind.

·         Fort Wayne, Ind.

·         Indianapolis, Ind.

·         Lafayette, Ind.

·         South Bend/Mishawaka, Ind.

·         Terre Haute, Ind.

·         West Lafayette, Ind.

·         Cedar Rapids, Iowa

·         Des Moines, Iowa

·         Iowa City, Iowa

·         Sioux City, Iowa

·         Wichita, Kan.

·         Lexington, Ky.

·         Louisville, Ky.

·         Baton Rouge, La.

·         Hammond, La.

·         New Orleans, La.

·         Shreveport, La.

·         Baltimore, Md.

·         Frederick, Md.

·         Hagerstown, Md.

·         Boston, Mass.

·         Fitchburg/Leominster, Mass.

·         Springfield, Mass.

·         Worcester, Mass.

·         Detroit, Mich.

·         Flint, Mich.

·         Grand Rapids, Mich.

·         Kalamazoo, Mich.

·         Lansing, Mich.

·         Saginaw, Mich.

·         Duluth, Minn.

·         Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn.

·         The Rochester Area, Minn.

·         St. Cloud, Minn.

·         Starkville, Miss.

·         Tupelo, Miss.

·         Kansas City, Mo.

·         Springfield/Branson, Mo.

·         St. Louis, Mo.

·         Lincoln, Neb.

·         Omaha/Council Bluffs, Neb.

·         Las Vegas, Nev.

·         Reno, Nev.

·         Manchester/Nashua, N.H.

·         Albuquerque, N.M.

·         Las Cruces, N.M.

·         Santa Fe, N.M.

·         Albany, N.Y.

·         Buffalo, N.Y.

·         Ithaca, N.Y.

·         New York, N.Y.

·         Orange County, N.Y.

·         Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

·         Rochester, N.Y.

·         Syracuse, N.Y.

·         Asheville, N.C.

·         Charlotte, N.C.

·         Fayetteville/Lumberton, N.C.

·         Greensboro/Winston Salem/High Point, N.C.

·         Raleigh/Durham, N.C.

·         Wilmington, N.C.

·         Fargo, N.D.

·         Akron, Ohio

·         Canton, Ohio

·         Cincinnati, Ohio

·         Cleveland, Ohio

·         Columbus, Ohio

·         Dayton, Ohio

·         Findlay/Tiffin, Ohio

·         Lima, Ohio

·         Mansfield, Ohio

·         Toledo, Ohio

·         Youngstown/Warren, Ohio

·         Bartlesville, Okla.

·         Oklahoma City, Okla.

·         Tulsa, Okla.

·         Portland, Ore.

·         Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton, Pa.

·         Altoona, Pa.

·         Erie, Pa.

·         Harrisburg, Pa.

·         Indiana, Pa.

·         Johnstown, Pa.

·         Philadelphia, Pa.

·         Pittsburgh, Pa.

·         State College, Pa.

·         Wilkes Barre/Scranton, Pa.

·         Greater Providence, R.I.

·         Charleston, S.C.

·         Columbia, S.C.

·         Greenville/Spartanburg, S.C.

·         Hilton Head, S.C.

·         Rapid City, S.D.

·         Sioux Falls, S.D.

·         Chattanooga, Tenn.

·         Clarksville, Tenn./Hopkinsville, Ky.

·         Cleveland, Tenn.

·         Dyersburg/Union City, Tenn.

·         Jackson, Tenn.

·         Knoxville, Tenn.

·         Martin, Tenn.

·         Memphis, Tenn.

·         Nashville, Tenn.

·         Austin, Texas

·         Beaumont/Port Arthur, Texas

·         Bryan/College Station, Texas

·         Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas

·         El Paso, Texas

·         Houston, Texas

·         San Antonio, Texas

·         Temple/Killeen, Texas

·         Wichita Falls, Texas

·         Provo, Utah

·         Salt Lake City, Utah

·         Greater Hampton Roads, Va.

·         Richmond, Va.

·         Roanoke, Va.

·         The Tri-Cities, Tenn./Va.

·         Olympia, Wash.

·         Seattle, Wash.

·         Spokane, Wash.

·         Tacoma, Wash.

·         Charleston, W.Va.

·         Appleton/Oshkosh, Wis.

·         Green Bay, Wis.

·         Madison, Wis.

·         Milwaukee, Wis.

 

Sprint and Clearwire are close to inking a deal that will extend an existing network-sharing agreement an additional 3-5 years, Bloomberg Businessweek said Friday. The current agreement will terminate at the end of 2012. Allegedly, the deal is not final and could still fall through. If it is finalized, Sprint is poised to pay less for access to Clearwire’s network than it currently does. Clearwire has been seeking additional funding to help it build out a 4G LTE network, which is expected to cost $600 million, but Sprint will not provide any of the financing. “This would likely help [Clearwire] get funding, because it would provide increased visibility into revenue-getting opportunities and reduce the risk profile,” Mizuho Securities analyst Michael Nelson told Bloomberg. Clearwire most recently began courting AT&T and Verizon Wireless in a bid to raise cash for its new network.

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Speaking during the 4G World conference in Chicago on Tuesday, Sprint’s vice president of network development and engineering Iyad Tarazi confirmed that Sprint will begin to roll-out a 4G LTE-Advanced network in its 800MHz frequency spectrum by the middle of 2013. LTE-Advanced offers faster data throughput than the first generation of LTE, among other enhancements, and Tarazi explained that Sprint’s LTE-Advanced network should offer download speeds between 12-15Mbps. During its Strategy Update meeting in October, Sprint confirmed that it will begin to roll out its first 4G LTE network in mid-2012 with completion scheduled by the end of 2013. The initial LTE network will be deployed on Sprint’s 1900Mhz frequency spectrum and the first round of LTE devices will still route voice calls over its CDMA network. The first voice-over-LTE devices will arrive during the first quarter of 2013, Fierce Wireless said. Tarazi also noted that Sprint will offer at least a dozen LTE devices next year.

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Verizon Wireless announced on Monday that its 4G LTE network is rolling out faster than originally planned. The carrier provides 4G access to more than 186 million Americans, which means it has already exceeded its goal to cover 185 million U.S. residents by the end of the year. Verizon Wireless confirmed it will roll out 4G LTE to 13 more markets on November 17th, for a total of 178 markets, and said it will continue to activate its 4G network in new cities in December. Verizon Wireless said it will soon offer a total of 15 4G LTE devices, including the newly announced DROID RAZR and Samsung Stratosphere, and that it has more 4G LTE announcements planned for November and December. Read on for the announcement from Verizon Wireless.

Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE Network Now Covers More Than 186 Million Americans

Less than a year ago we introduced our 4G LTE network to the nation, rolling it out in 38 cities with coverage available to 110 million Americans. At that time we announced an aggressive goal of bringing our 4G LTE network to more than 185 million Americans by the end of 2011.

On Thursday, Oct. 20, we turned on our 4G LTE network in 22 new markets including Green Bay, Wis. and Buffalo, NY. With these new cities we tipped the scale and I can now officially, and proudly, say that we have surpassed our goal. Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network covers more than 186 million Americans from coast to coast.

With two months still left in 2011, we have no plans to slow down. Thirteen more cities, including Kansas City, Mo. and Roanoke, Va., will have access to Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network on Nov. 17. That will bring our total market count to 178 for the year, with December still to be announced.

To coincide with the rapid expansion of our 4G LTE network, we’ve steadily introduced an array of 4G LTE-enabled devices, ranging from notebooks and netbooks; to hotspots and modems; and tablets and smartphones. With our two newest devices, the DROID RAZR™ by Motorola and Samsung Stratosphere™, we now offer consumers 15 4G LTE-enabled devices to choose from.

We’re excited to lead the market in the deployment of 4G LTE technology and look forward to continuing to set the pace.

Stay tuned in November and December for additional 4G LTE announcements!

LightSquared Announces Collaboration with Sharp® on L-Band Smartphone and Tablet Product Development

LightSquared will provide device solutions for its network partners using Sharp’s leading-edge smartphone and tablet technologies.

RESTON, Va., October 3, 2011 – LightSquared™, which is building a nationwide wireless broadband network that will drive consumer choice and industry innovation, has announced a strategic collaboration agreement with Sharp®, a worldwide leader in consumer electronic products and solutions.

LightSquared has selected Sharp as its first manufacturer to provide advanced smartphones and tablets which will operate on its 4G-LTE network. The goal of the agreement is to leverage Sharp’s leading-edge product solutions to develop a range of innovative devices which will incorporate an extensive selection of unique device components, such as Sharp’s advanced LCD panel and camera module, for LightSquared’s 4G-LTE network partners including carriers, retailers and others.

This agreement underscores how LightSquared’s open network and growing ecosystem can help manufacturers expand their wireless offerings and develop innovative products without restrictions.

LightSquared will showcase devices during CTIA Enterprise & Applications, October 11-13, in San Diego.

“Sharp has a rich history of producing unique products that push the extremes of design and functionality, and we’re proud that they will be developing innovative devices for LightSquared’s 4G-LTE network,” said Sanjiv Ahuja, chief executive officer of LightSquared. “LightSquared’s wholesale-only business model and open network will provide Sharp with a platform from which they can aggressively expand into the U.S. wireless market with an exciting portfolio of smartphones and tablets.”

Sprint will deploy its 4G LTE network early next year and has already started to deploy the required equipment, CNET reported on Tuesday. Reportedly, Sprint is also already testing the network, although sources speaking to CNET did not reveal where the tests were occurring. The move is enabled by Sprint’s “Network Vision” plans, which it first discussed in December 2010. During our recent tour of Sprint’s facilities in Overland Park, Kansas, when Sprint CEO Dan Hesse confirmed that the carrier’s 4G plans would be discussed this fall, we were able to snap a few photos of an Ericsson E-Node Base Transceiver System (BTS). Sprint explained at the time that, should it decide to move to an LTE network, engineers just had to add an LTE card to the BTS and perform the required tests to get a new network up and running. Sprint has also already announced a deal with Lightsqured to deliver 4G LTE support to its customers, although it has not yet been discussed when the roll-out will occur. BGR will be attending a Sprint “Strategy Update” in New York City on October 7th where we expect to hear more about Sprint’s future 4G plans.

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Verizon Wireless announced on Wednesday that it will activate its 4G LTE network in 26 new markets on Thursday, September 15th. The new areas include Kalamazoo and Saginaw, Michigan; Fargo, North Dakota; Moorhead Minnesota; Canton, Lima and Mansfield, Ohio; Reno, Nevada; Iowa City, Iowa; Fort Smith and Jonesboro, Arkansas; Daytona, Florida; Shreveport, Louisiana; Las Cruces, New Mexico; Dyersburg, Tennessee; the Tri-Cities in Tennessee and Virginia; Austin, Beaumont/Port Arthur, Wichita Falls and El Paso, Texas; San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara, California; Bloomington/Normal, Champaign/Urbana, Rockford, Springfield and Quad Cities, Illinois. Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network now covers more than 160 million U.S. residents in 143 markets, and the carrier hopes to cover 185 million Americans by the end of this year. Read on for a press release of Verizon’s expansion in Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota.

VERIZON WIRELESS LAUNCHES 4G LTE IN 26 NEW MARKETS AND MAKES MAJOR EXPANSIONS IN 3 CITIES ON SEPTEMBER 15

With the Introduction of the new DROID BIONIC^™ by Motorola, Verizon Wireless Offers 11 Cutting-edge 4G LTE Devices

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – Verizon Wireless is turning on the world’s most advanced wireless network in 26 additional cities and expanding its network in San Francisco, Indianapolis and Cleveland/Akron on Thursday, Sept. 15, bringing the blazingly fast speed of 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) to a total of 143 markets across the United States.  Consumers and businesses can choose from 11 4G LTE-enabled devices to connect to the fastest 4G LTE network in the country, including the new DROID BIONIC^™ by Motorola which is the first Verizon Wireless smartphone to combine 4G LTE with the power of dual-core 1 GHz processors, 1 GB of RAM and a stunning 4.3-inch qHD display.

Starting Thursday, Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network will be available in Fort Smith and Jonesboro, Ark.; San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara, Calif.; Daytona, Fla.; Bloomington, Champaign/Urbana, Rockford and Springfield, Ill.; the Quad Cities, Ill./Iowa; Iowa City, Iowa; Shreveport, La.; Kalamazoo and Saginaw, Mich.; Reno, Nev.; Las Cruces, N.M.; Fargo, N.D.; Canton, Lima and Mansfield, Ohio; Dyersburg, Tenn.; the Tri-Cities, Tenn./Va.; and Austin, Beaumont/Port Arthur, Wichita Falls and El Paso, Texas.  The company is also making major 4G LTE expansions on Thursday in San Francisco, Indianapolis and Cleveland/Akron.

“We’ve followed an aggressive roll out plan for our 4G LTE network, and consumers and businesses can connect today to the fastest 4G LTE network in the country with nearly a dozen devices,” said David Small, chief technical officer of Verizon Wireless.  “Speed matters, and it matters when you’re in your hometown as well as when you’re on the road.  That’s why it’s important that you can connect over 4G LTE in 143 markets, from New York to San Francisco, and from Miami to Las Vegas.”

4G LTE Devices, Speed and Coverage

Consumers can choose from 11 devices to access the blazingly fast speeds of the 4G LTE network, including:

·        Smartphones: DROID BIONIC by Motorola, Revolution^™ by LG, DROID Charge by Samsung and ThunderBolt^™ by HTC

·        Tablets: Samsung Galaxy Tab^™ 10.1 with 4G LTE

·        Notebooks and Netbooks: HP^® Pavilion dm1-3010nr Entertainment PC and Compaq^™ Mini CQ10-688nr with built-in 4G LTE

·        Hotspots: Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot MiFi^™ 4510L and Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot SCH-LC11

·        Modems: Verizon Wireless 4G LTE USB Modem 551L and Pantech UML290 USB modem

In real-world, fully loaded network environments, 4G LTE users should experience average data rates of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) on the downlink and 2 to 5 Mbps on the uplink.

When customers travel outside of a 4G LTE coverage area, the devices automatically connect to Verizon Wireless’ 3G network, enabling customers to stay connected from coast to coast.  Verizon Wireless’ 3G network is the most reliable network in the country and allows customers in 3G coverage areas today who purchase 4G LTE devices to take advantage of 4G LTE speeds when the faster network becomes available in their areas.

Reliability: In and Beyond Major Cities

As the first wireless company in the world to broadly deploy 4G LTE technology, Verizon Wireless is committed to building its 4G LTE network with the same performance and reliability for which it has long been recognized.  Verizon Wireless’ consistent focus on reliability is based on rigid engineering standards and a disciplined deployment approach year after year.  The company’s 700 MHz spectrum gives Verizon Wireless specific advantages with 4G LTE, including a contiguous, nationwide network license.

Verizon Wireless’ vision also includes bringing its 4G LTE network beyond major cities.  The company is working with rural communications companies to collaboratively build and operate a 4G LTE network in those areas using the tower and backhaul assets of the rural company and Verizon Wireless’ core 4G LTE equipment and premium 700 MHz spectrum.  Already, 11 rural companies have announced their participation in the LTE in Rural America program and have leased spectrum covering, in total, more than 2.1 million people in rural communities and nearly 62,000 square miles.  These companies include: Bluegrass Cellular, Carolina West/Clear Stream, Cellcom, Chariton Valley, Convergence Technologies, Cross Telephone, Custer Telephone Cooperative, Pioneer Cellular, S&R Communications, Strata Networks and Thumb Cellular.

4G LTE Markets as of Sept. 15, 2011

While Verizon Wireless’ 3G network covers more than 290 million Americans, the company’s 4G LTE network covers more than 160 million Americans and will be available in 143 cities on Thursday, including:

·        Decatur, Ala.

·        Huntsville, Ala.

·        Mobile, Ala.

·        Montgomery, Ala.

·        Phoenix, Ariz.

·        Tucson, Ariz.

·        Fayetteville/Springdale/Rogers, Ark.

·        Fort Smith, Ark.

·        Jonesboro, Ark.

·        Bakersfield, Calif.

·        Fresno, Calif.

·        Los Angeles, Calif.

·        Oakland, Calif.

·        Sacramento, Calif.

·        Salinas/Monterey/Seaside, Calif.

·        San Diego, Calif.

·        San Francisco, Calif.

·        San Jose, Calif.

·        San Luis Obispo, Calif.

·        Santa Barbara, Calif.

·        Colorado Springs, Colo.

·        Denver, Colo.

·        Fort Collins, Colo.

·        Greater Fairfield and New Haven, Conn.

·        Hartford, Conn.

·        Washington, D.C.

·        Daytona, Fla.

·        Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

·        Gainesville, Fla.

·        Jacksonville, Fla.

·        Lakeland, Fla.

·        Miami, Fla.

·        Orlando, Fla.

·        Pensacola, Fla.

·        Sarasota/Bradenton, Fla.

·        Tallahassee, Fla.

·        Tampa, Fla.

·        West Palm Beach, Fla.

·        Athens, Ga.

·        Atlanta, Ga.

·        Augusta, Ga.

·        Hilo, Hawaii

·        Honolulu, Hawaii

·        Kahului/Wailuku, Hawaii

·        Lahaina, Hawaii

·        Boise, Idaho

·        Bloomington, Ill.

·        Carbondale, Ill.

·        Champaign/Urbana, Ill.

·        Chicago, Ill.

·        Rockford, Ill.

·        Springfield, Ill.

·        Fort Wayne, Ind.

·        Indianapolis, Ind.

·        West Lafayette, Ind.

·        The Quad Cities, Ill./Iowa

·        Iowa City, Iowa

·        Wichita, Kan.

·        Louisville, Ky.

·        Baton Rouge, La.

·        Hammond, La.

·        New Orleans, La.

·        Shreveport, La.

·        Baltimore, Md.

·        Frederick, Md.

·        Boston, Mass.

·        Springfield, Mass.

·        Worcester, Mass.

·        Detroit, Mich.

·        Flint, Mich.

·        Grand Rapids, Mich.

·        Kalamazoo, Mich.

·        Lansing, Mich.

·        Saginaw, Mich.

·        Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn.

·        St. Louis, Mo.

·        Omaha/Council Bluffs, Neb.

·        Las Vegas, Nev.

·        Reno, Nev.

·        Las Cruces, N.M.

·        Albany, N.Y.

·        Ithaca, N.Y.

·        New York, N.Y.

·        Rochester, N.Y.

·        Syracuse, N.Y.

·        Charlotte, N.C.

·        Fayetteville/Lumberton, N.C.

·        Greensboro/Winston Salem/High Point, N.C.

·        Raleigh/Durham, N.C.

·        Wilmington, N.C.

·        Fargo, N.D.

·        Akron, Ohio

·        Canton, Ohio

·        Cincinnati, Ohio

·        Cleveland, Ohio

·        Columbus, Ohio

·        Dayton, Ohio

·        Lima, Ohio

·        Mansfield, Ohio

·        Toledo, Ohio

·        Oklahoma City, Okla.

·        Tulsa, Okla.

·        Portland, Ore.

·        Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton, Pa.

·        Altoona, Pa.

·        Erie, Pa.

·        Harrisburg, Pa.

·        Johnstown, Pa.

·        Philadelphia, Pa.

·        Pittsburgh, Pa.

·        Wilkes Barre/Scranton, Pa.

·        State College, Pa.

·        Charleston, S.C.

·        Columbia, S.C.

·        Greenville/Spartanburg, S.C.

·        Hilton Head, S.C.

·        Sioux Falls, S.D.

·        Chattanooga, Tenn.

·        Clarksville, Tenn./Hopkinsville, Ky.

·        Cleveland, Tenn.

·        Dyersburg, Tenn.

·        The Tri-Cities, Tenn./Va.

·        Knoxville, Tenn.

·        Memphis, Tenn.

·        Nashville, Tenn.

·        Austin, Texas

·        Beaumont/Port Arthur, Texas

·        Bryan/College Station, Texas

·        Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas

·        El Paso, Texas

·        Houston, Texas

·        San Antonio, Texas

·        Temple/Killeen, Texas

·        Wichita Falls, Texas

·        Provo, Utah

·        Salt Lake City, Utah

·        Olympia, Wash.

·        Seattle, Wash.

·        Spokane, Wash.

·        Tacoma, Wash.

·        Charleston, W.Va.

·        Madison, Wis.

·        Milwaukee, Wis.

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

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’s 4G LTE network went live this past weekend in the Chicago area, and initial speed tests reveal impressive download speeds. AT&T has yet to announce the availability of LTE service in Chicago or any other launch market, but BGR has obtained exclusive images and speed test results from a source who has tested the network there. Ahead of an official launch, AT&T 4G LTE service is likely to be available only intermittently during testing, though it is also possible that Chicago has been soft launched following the launch of AT&T’s first two 4G LTE devices last week. Read on for more.

Our source used an AT&T Elevate 4G LTE mobile hotspot to perform speed tests in the Chicago area. Using both an iPhone 4 and a MacBook connected to the Elevate via Wi-Fi, he found that download speeds topped out at around 13Mbps and upload speeds reached just over 2Mbps. It should be noted, however, that the speeds achieved during these tests do not necessarily represent the data speeds AT&T subscribers will see once the network officially goes live. In addition, our source said that the Elevate never had more than three bars of service during the tests, which is another indication that AT&T’s 4G LTE network is not in a launch-ready state. Images of 4G LTE speed test results on the iPhone 4 and MacBook can be seen in our photo gallery, which is linked above.