Verizon LTE handsets due by mid-2011

Michael Carroll | March 12, 2010

telecomseurope.net

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Verizon Wireless will launch its first LTE handsets six-months ahead of schedule in mid-2011.

The carrier’s CTO told the Wall St Journal the devices would be available within six months of the commercial launch of Verizon’s LTE network in the US, which is scheduled to take place by end 2010.

Anthony Melone told the newspaper that compatible devices would follow three-to-six months after the networks went live, which would beat the carrier’s original end-2011 target for handset launches.

Although few details have been released regarding the handsets, the devices are likely to run two chips so they can connect to the LTE and 3G networks, US websites report.

Verizon has previously admitted it hasn’t started testing handsets yet, though EVP Dick Lynch has stated the devices would include CDMA, CNET reports.

Handset makers will need to ensure their products can meet Verizon’s pledged data speeds of 5-12Mbps in the downlink, and 2-5Mbps uplink.

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Michael Carroll