Verizon going 4G LTE (GSM) starting in 2008 and what it means for you

Vodafone CEO Arun Sarin said it would happen, and it looks like it finally will. Verizon will start the switch from 3G CDMA/EV-DO to 4G GSM/LTE in 2008, but what does it mean for the customer?

For those unfamiliar with the acronyms I just used, CDMA and EV-DO are the wireless technologies Verizon uses for its network in the US. This is unlike much of the rest of the world, which uses GSM. GSM is a much more open standard that allows customers to easily switch services and phones. GSM phones use SIM cards, small cards that tell the phone what service and number to use, and they can easily be inserted into any GSM phone. CDMA phones must be registered with the network in order to operate and can only be activated with the specific service it was designed for (Sprint phones are also CDMA but they can’t be moved to Verizon’s network and vice versa).

With Verizon moving to LTE, a GSM technology, it will allow Verizon’s incredibly reliable and speedy network to work with most GSM phones (read: iPhone is a GSM phone) available. Verizon’s phone lineup is much weaker than what’s available from other companies, and that will no longer be a problem if Verizon switches to a GSM technology.

It only gets better. LTE is a super fast technology allowing for download and upload speeds never before available in the US through a wireless carrier.

Furthermore, Verizon is aiming to open the netwok to devices not traditionally connected through a wireless service provider. Devices like video game consoles, refrigerators, and cars may one day have an always-on speedy data connection through a cellular service provider.

The transition to LTE should be completed by 2013, and it is unknown when Vodafone will start the same transition.

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