Verizon: Half-Dozen 4G Smartphones And Tablets Coming In Early 2011

Verizon's Lowell McAdam

Verizon Wireless has unveiled some of its 4G launch plans this morning at CTIA’s keynote, but not saying exactly when it will go live or how much it will cost. Instead, it teased us by focusing on where it will be available.

It said the high-speed broadband technology will be live by year-end in 38 markets, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Seattle, Houston, New Orleans, Tampa and San Jose. It will also be live in 60 airports nationwide. Verizon’s COO Lowell McAdam said the network is only the first step, with about a half-dozen smartphones and tablets coming in the first half of next year. Those devices will be unveiled in January at CES in Las Vegas.

McAdam said in the 38 markets they expect to launch in, they’ll cover roughly 110 million people, which translates to about a 70 percent coverage in these markets. By 2012, it expects to cover 200 million people.

Verizon expects LTE to deliver data rates between five to 12 megabits per second down and two to five megabits up.

In addition, Verizon expects to get help rolling out 4G by collaborating with rural carriers, which can leverage Verizon’s spectrum and scale to buy devices and infrastructure at bulk rates. With their help, Verizon expects to roll out 4G much faster and cheaper than normally expected when a carrier is first to adopt a technology. McAdam: “It

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