Verizon plays the obvious card: its 4G trials are faster than 3G

As the clock ticks down on Verizon's opening salvo of commercial LTE availability, PR noise is growing into a dull roar -- not to say we necessarily mind, considering how desperately we're looking forward to more 4G footprint in the States. Today, the company is reporting that engineers have managed to coax up to 40-50Mbps down and 20-25Mbps up out of its test networks currently deployed in Boston and Seattle -- not what we can expect in a real-world environment where you're on a train surrounded by obstacles and other people trying to use the network, but a pretty nice, round set of numbers nonetheless. In actual usage, they're reporting more down-to-Earth figures of 5-12Mbps down (count on 5) and 2-5Mbps up (count on 2), which still bests EV-DO Rev. A by a healthy margin. Of course, this is just the beginning -- LTE will get better over time -- so this sounds like a nice start.

[Jaylittles531 Posted Mar 8th 2010 1:11PM]

I'm confused.... Did they think it was going to be slower?

[DoctarPeppar Posted Mar 8th 2010 1:12PM]

Yeah latency always sucks...but maybe now can we please get the HTC\Samsung\etc phones that come over here WITHOUT having the front facing VGA camera purposely removed...PLEASE?

[Common Sense Posted Mar 8th 2010 1:17PM]

Let's see this in a "real world" and not just down Broadway and a couple of other "test streets." I want to know how this technology will perform when tens of thousands of people are using it at the same time. Also, I want to see if Verizon and AT&T know how to do data. Right now, all I see from Verizon and AT&T are 5GB data limits ($12 per GB) moving to $250-$500 per GB for overage penalties and base rates at $59.99 per month.

If they want people to use this technology, they need to make it more affordable and reasonable for the average consumer. Also, they need to stop the crap of charging for data usage. The average consumer can tell how many minutes they are using on a voice plan but with data, VZ and AT&T both tell you the next day, after you have watched too many streaming videos and after you have literally spent the money. In many cases, we are talking about thousands of dollars in overage charges. You cannot do that to consumers and expect to maintain a good name for yourselves! Verizon and AT&T really need to hire some good data people to work along side of their voice people in management. They have both yet to prove to me that they are good at selling data to the masses in their wireless channel.

[TMoney2007 Posted Mar 8th 2010 1:25PM]

@Common Sense They don't want people to use wireless as their main ISP because they can't support it. Network bandwidth is at a premium so we pay a premium for it...

I'm sure they would love to provide all of America with internet via their wireless network, but it just isn't feasible.

[psycros Posted Mar 8th 2010 1:26PM]

@Common Sense : You just earned your moniker, my friend..and an up-rate.

[Common Sense Posted Mar 8th 2010 1:31PM]

@TMoney2007 I am sure you are correct with your assessment. However, why are they producing 4G modems that are designed just for data usage then? You would think they would stick to putting the 4G data capabilities in handsets only. Right now, Sprint and Clear(wire) only sell their 4G with modems and they are happy when their clients replace their wired cable or DSL service with their WiMax service. Verizon and AT&T are having companies like Novatel, Motorola, Sierra and Franklin create 4G LTE modems for specific data-only use.

[Common Sense Posted Mar 8th 2010 1:36PM]

@psycros Thank you for your kind words. I have worked hard in this industry and I have worked directly with my customers, in the trenches so I know what my clients want and are requesting. This means a lot to me and it seems like the powers who run these companies do not listen to their clients, only to what dictates their bottom lines. It is so ridiculous. If the technology is too expensive to operate and they have to charge and treat their customers this way, perhaps they should not be in the wireless broadband business or they should have people operating the business who know what they are doing.

[Photog Posted Mar 9th 2010 10:52AM]

@Common Sense

as a poster said earlier, the VOICE spec is not yet finalized therefore you are not going to see any phones within a year. Everyone waiting on the grooviest LTE phones (iPhone or whatever) might as well stop holding your breath.

[senormatt Posted Mar 8th 2010 1:28PM]

I'll be cruising on 4G by summer time.... I'll try not to tease you Verizon and AT&T guys too much..

[slayton Posted Mar 8th 2010 1:57PM]

People don't seem to be mentioning that LTE is going to be the global standard. Its the next gen tech after GSM. So not only will verizon have the fastest 4g network in the United states it will be world compatible. No more silly cdma.

I predict that verizon will get the iphone when the iphone supports LTE. It makes sense for apple to do this because they only have to design a single LTE iphone that will work for most carriers world wide.

[Gyrferret117 Posted Mar 8th 2010 2:06PM]

I laughed at the "healthy margin", because I regularly get 1.5 Mb/s.

[kklier Posted Mar 8th 2010 2:14PM]

This is still much better than what TWC offers in the RDU area in a wired configuration.

[deadzones Posted Mar 8th 2010 2:17PM]

I wonder if AT&T and Verizon are starting to get scared about Time Warner, Cox and Comcast stealing their business by getting into the home mobile services business?

[txbrandon Posted Mar 8th 2010 2:23PM]

I foresee a clever iPhone 4G/Verizon 4G commercial.

[sfox8 Posted Mar 8th 2010 2:36PM]

That's all fine and dandy, but for me, until I hear about some killer phones for that LTE, this doesn't interest me one bit. Sprint may be investing in old tech but I applaud them for getting into 4G so early. And the simple fact that they have some 4G phones set for release this year.

[Naris Posted Mar 8th 2010 2:47PM]

It depresses the hell out of me that even the so called "real world" speed of 5-12 Mbps is faster than my terrestrial internet that the government sees fit to label "broadband."

[zetasoul Posted Mar 8th 2010 2:51PM]

no s***!

[tahoebigah Posted Mar 8th 2010 3:00PM]

yay! fast speeds now we just need vzw to have some phones that can actually use that.

[meeit Posted Mar 8th 2010 4:12PM]

3 questions,

first, how long did it take the US carriers to utilize 3g up to it's full bandwidth? [gives me an idea of how soon I can expect full speed 4G, I'm guessing never]

Second, why is everyone making a big deal about 5Mbps over 4g when T-mobile is rolling out 21Mbps over 3g? [just curious].

and lastly how is a wireless connection of 5Mbps, or hell 1 billion Mbps(what is that Tbps) going to help when the problem is compounded by inadequate fiber to the towers themselves?

[kabukijoe Posted Mar 8th 2010 3:17PM]

LOL, I'll believe it when I see it, Verizon also states that my entire area is covered with 3g but yet the data speed makes dial up look good.

[Slice105 Posted Mar 8th 2010 5:40PM]

That's faster than my broadband. Thanks sky. :-(

[saddam3 Posted Mar 8th 2010 6:48PM]

sprint already is deploying 4G. N with wimax being a ip technology they have the ability to change to lte if it really turns into a huge norm world wide. But I dnt believe it well because there's already a nation fully covered with wimax. There's wimax phones in russia. There's laptops with wimax chips in them on sale right now at any dell. Samsung. Sony or other major laptop companys n wimax 2 is coming very soon. With more then 100 mbps on download speed in trails. I think this is gng to be like the repeat of cdma vs gsm battle agien. So far wimax has the early lead but people are more optemistic about lte but that's only because they haven't seen it fully deployed in real world environment with millions of people straining it. N wimax is already at that level in countrys world wide. Once both technologys get deployed n we can see t how they really are under full demand then one well rise n the other well fall... I'm hoping for wimax personaly. Nt because I'm a sprint fan but because it's a flexible technology. Ineveling clear n it's partners to change to wimax 2 orr lte if they fill fit to better please the customer.

[gerrrg Posted Mar 8th 2010 6:59PM]

Kinda makes WiMax look positively awesome, don't ya think?

[zexco Posted Mar 9th 2010 6:59AM]

"A by a healthy margin."

...I know, sieg heil.