Bug Labs gets cozier with Verizon, announces LTE module for speedy DIY devices
Not satisfied with the smattering of LTE products announced at CES thus far? Why not build your own with Bug Labs' modular components? Yes, the open-source hardware manufacturer has teamed with Verizon to offer pre-certified wireless modules once again, though this time they take advantage of the new LTE hotness rather than Verizon's EV-DO network. No word on when we'll be able to sign up to prototype our own phones nor how much they'll cost, but know that even just the base platform will slurp $500 out of your wallet. PR after the break.
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Bug Labs Announces Support for Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Broadband Network
Open Development Platform Enables Rapid and Cost-Effective Wireless Device Innovation and Deployment on Next-Generation Network
LAS VEGAS and BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Jan. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- From the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Bug Labs today announced that its flagship platform, The Bug System, now supports device innovation on the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network. Product developers and software engineers can now quickly and affordably prototype and build devices that capitalize on the availability of the 4G LTE network.
In addition to faster data speeds, the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network enables an elegant connection between users and data available in the world around them. For companies that are faced with the challenge of creating custom-built devices that take advantage of opportunities on the 4G LTE network, Bug Labs and Verizon Wireless will simplify the process by offering pre-certified modules for use in The Bug System without additional certification required.
"Users are demanding faster and easier access to information on the go, and the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network signifies a major evolution in the market to meet this demand.
However, because the technology is new and still maturing, users are currently limited to the few 4G LTE compatible devices available today," said Peter Semmelhack, founder and chief executive officer, Bug Labs. "Working with Verizon Wireless, we have opened the possibilities of 4G LTE to the broader market. Bug Labs is excited to arm companies with the open development tools they need to quickly and affordably capitalize on all custom device innovations imaginable."
Bug Labs' products and services are designed to give companies the tools and support needed to prototype, pilot and produce innovative networked devices with ease. The company's Bug System consists of hardware and software solutions that can be readily combined and re-configured to enable immediate product experimentation and device prototyping. As a result, enterprise users are able to significantly reduce the timelines and costs associated with bringing a custom wireless device to market.
Bug Labs' support for Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE network is the second announcement made by the companies regarding their collaboration in recent months. In September 2010, Bug Labs revealed that it would offer pre-certified modules that allow developers to build, program and deploy new wireless technologies on the Verizon Wireless 3G wireless network. To learn more about Bug Labs' capabilities on the Verizon Wireless network, visit: http://opennetwork.verizonwireless.com/aboutOpenDev.aspx#working_bug.
The Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network, launched in December 2010, is the fastest, most advanced 4G network in the United States, providing speeds up to 10 times faster than the existing Verizon Wireless 3G network. Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network currently reaches one-third of all Americans, with plans to expand the network to the company's entire 3G coverage area over the next three years.
Bug Labs' Bug System will be highlighted from Jan. 6-9 in Verizon Wireless' booth (#35216 in the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center). For more information about the LTE Innovation Center and Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE network, visit www.verizonwireless.com/lte.
