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LG and Nortel complete first LTE-CDMA handoff, Verizon swoons

This'll probably end up being important for Bell and Telus up in Canada (even though they're taking an intermediate step from CDMA to HSPA), but Verizon must absolutely love the fact that the infrastructure guys have now figured out how to hand off data packets between CDMA and LTE networks in a standards-compliant way. LG and Nortel -- what's left of it, anyway -- have collaborated to complete the handoff in Nortel's Ottawa research labs on 700MHz spectrum between EV-DO and the Canadian firm's LTE hardware, using LG's so-called M13 prototype modem that roughly resembles consumer-grade equipment that LG wants to release next year. This is great news for customers who not only won't need to choose between a fast modem with crappy coverage and a slow modem with awesome coverage -- they'll be able to have both in a single device -- but they'll also be able to continue to torrent last night's True Blood as they move between technologies. Cheers to that.