LiveBlogging Verizon’s 4G LTE Announcement

We’ve long wanted to liveblog Android-related events here on AndroidGuys but had not come across any tools practical enough to try out.  A few weeks back we came across a WordPress plugin that we think will do the trick.  We’ve been waiting patiently to kick the tires on this thing so what better way than to do a dry run with Verizon’s LTE announcement?  A few of us will be listening to the press conference today, chiming in with the relevant bits of info, especially as they pertain to Android.  Be sure to check back with us at 12:00PM EST as Verizon details their new 4G LTE network plans.

Before the event, a little history and commentary on “4G” is in order I think. The International Telecommunications Union is the group that is globally responsible for assigning standards to wireless technologies. This is significant for several reasons, the most significan of which being the focus on a single standard, so that everything that claims to adhere to this standard works roughly the same way. Recently, the ITU spoke out against several global networks claiming to offer 4G speeds, and was more clear on what was considered 4G in terms of capacity and function. During this announcement, there were two existing technologies that have been cleared for the use of the term. Those technologies are LTE-Advanced 1 and WiMax 802.16m. While there are no current deployments of WiMax 802.16m, but rather 802.16e, currently deployed by Sprint and Clear, which is a similar technology with a significantly decreased output. The same can be said of LTE, the deployment Verizon Wireless has chosen, in that the deployment being announced today is significantly less than LTE Advanced. While both networks are dedicated to eventually deploy these networks to their fullest capacity, many feel it is both inappropriate and irresponsible to call these networks 4G.

It is a significant upgrade nonetheless, and one that many analysts feel will alter the current state of consumer internet access. For Dan Hayes, a partner at the consulting firm PRTM, the consumer market could adopt technologies like LTE to replace their home internet solution.

The launch of Verizon Wireless’ 4G network, which brings broadband speed and responsiveness to users wherever they are, marks a watershed moment in the wireless industry.  As the largest 4G network in the world, and the first with availability across the United States, Verizon is setting the standard by which all other wireless broadband services will be measured.  Verizon’s new network is significant for reasons including:

• 4G broadband wireless will provide a competitive offering to higher-priced DSL, cable, and fiber-based services
• Nationwide 4G service will enable frequent travelers and business users to utilize 4G’s superior performance
• Wireless broadband service will enable future connectivity to scores of new devices, including cameras, portable gaming systems, and medical devices

Today could certainly be the dawn of a new way to always be connected, with LTE supported devices already on their way. Let’s now take a look at the Press Conference.

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Here We Go!

12:00 – Sunday, December 5th Verizon will launch deploy their LTE network to 38 metropolitan markets and 60 national airports, including airports that are not within the footprint.

12:10 – Verizon hopes to have their entire 3G footprint covered by LTE by 2013

12:12 – Dan Mead, CEO of Verizon clarifies that 3G is still a critical part of their business, and knowing that 4G is an entirely different network owned by Verizon. Huge pot shots at T-Mobile and Sprint here!

12:15 – On a fully loaded network, 2-5mb upload and 5-12 download, though notes that it will be much faster in most areas at launch. Latency expectancy is roughly half what 3G is right now.

12:17 – gets you 10GB and gets you 5GB, with a /GB overage. No limits and no caps.

12:19 – LG VL600 modem available at launch for with another from Pantech on it’s way. 2 Year agreement required. Each LTE device will also function on 3G networks as well.

12:21 – “not all 4G is the same” says Mead “Android really took off when Verizon got behind it, and we believe the same will happen with LTE”

12:25 – Street level maps for all of the available markets will be available at www.verizonwireless.com/4GLTE

12:28 – Verizon’s Access Manager will help you monitor monthly usage to avoid unnecessary expenses.

12:30 – You can move from a 4G network to a 3G, but you must manually move from 3G to 4G when travelling. Will the mobile world have the same problem?

This concludes our coverage of this event. What do you think? Verizon will not be ready to go to consumer devices for a few months, and we will be seeing plenty of upcoming LTE phones and MiFi like devices at CES, but there are a few things that seem like they are not quite ready. The 3G to LTE handoff, for example, requires you to monitor and manually switch to LTE. Hopefully this is an issue that is nolonger existent or does not affect the handsets to come. Either way, LTE is a solid jump over the competition, and it’s coming out across a huge footprint December 5th! Here’s the deployment list:

Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Initial Major Metropolitan Area Deployment (Dec. 5, 2010)

Akron, Ohio

Athens, Georgia

Atlanta, Georgia

Baltimore, Maryland

Boston, Massachusetts

Charlotte, North Carolina

Chicago, Illinois

Cincinnati, Ohio

Cleveland, Ohio

Columbus, Ohio

Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex, Dallas, Texas

Denver, Colorado

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Houston, Texas

Jacksonville, Florida

Las Vegas, Nevada

Los Angeles, California

Miami, Florida

Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Minnesota

Nashville, Tennessee

New Orleans, Louisiana

New York, New York

Oakland, California

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Orlando, Florida

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Phoenix, Arizona

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Rochester, New York

San Antonio, Texas

San Diego, California

San Francisco, California

San Jose, California

Seattle/Tacoma, Washington

St. Louis, Missouri

Tampa, Florida

Washington, D.C.

West Lafayette, Indiana

West Palm Beach, Florida

Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Initial Commercial Airport Deployment (Airport Name, City, State) Dec. 5, 2010

Austin-Bergstrom International, Austin, Texas

Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshal, Glen Burnie, Maryland

Bob Hope, Burbank, California

Boeing Field/King County International, Seattle, Washington

Charlotte/Douglas International, Charlotte, North Carolina

Chicago Midway International, Chicago, Illinois

Chicago O’Hare International, Chicago, Illinois

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International, Covington, Kentucky

Cleveland-Hopkins International, Cleveland, Ohio

Dallas Love Field, Dallas, Texas

Dallas/Fort Worth International, Fort Worth, Texas

Denver International, Denver, Colorado

Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

George Bush Intercontinental/Houston, Houston, Texas

Greater Rochester International, Rochester, New York

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, Atlanta, Georgia

Honolulu International, Honolulu, Hawaii

Jacksonville International, Jacksonville, Florida

John F. Kennedy International, New York, New York

John Wayne Airport-Orange County, Santa Ana, California

Kansas City International, Kansas City, Missouri

La Guardia, New York, New York

Lambert-St. Louis International, St. Louis, Missouri

Laurence G. Hanscom Field, Bedford, Massachusetts

Long Beach/Daugherty Field, Long Beach, California

Los Angeles International, Los Angeles, California

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International, Metairie, Louisiana

McCarran International, Las Vegas, Nevada

Memphis International, Memphis, Tennessee

Metropolitan Oakland International, Oakland, California

Miami International, Miami, Florida

Minneapolis-St. Paul International/Wold-Chamberlain, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Nashville International, Nashville, Tennessee

New Castle, Wilmington, Delaware

Newark Liberty International, Newark, New Jersey

Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International, San Jose, California

North Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada

Orlando International, Orlando, Florida

Orlando Sanford International, Sanford, Florida

Palm Beach International, West Palm Beach, Florida

Philadelphia International, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Phoenix Sky Harbor International, Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix-Mesa Gateway, Mesa, Arizona

Pittsburgh International, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Port Columbus International, Columbus, Ohio

Portland International, Portland, Oregon

Rickenbacker International, Columbus, Ohio

Ronald Reagan Washington National, Arlington, Virginia

Sacramento International, Sacramento, California

Salt Lake City International, Salt Lake City, Utah

San Antonio International, San Antonio, Texas

San Diego International, San Diego, California

San Francisco International, San Francisco, California

Seattle-Tacoma International, Seattle, Washington

St. Augustine, Saint Augustine, Florida

St. Petersburg-Clearwater International, Clearwater, Florida

Tampa International, Tampa, Florida

Teterboro, Teterboro, New Jersey

Trenton Mercer, Trenton, New Jersey

Washington Dulles International, Dulles International Airport, Washington, D.C.

Will Rogers World, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

William P. Hobby, Houston, Texas