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Sprint is releasing their first 4G handset this summer, but Verizon just announced they are waiting till 2011 (when their LTE network will be more built out). Verizon recently completed LTE trials in Boston and Seattle and expects to roll out 4G speeds to 25-30 markets by year’s end.
In their 4G LTE tests, Verizon reported 40-50 Mbps downstream and 20-25 Mbps up. Those are the fastest mobile speeds we have seen from any U.S. carrier, but real world performance is going to be less than that. Verizon maintains that their LTE network will be able to produce average download speeds of 5-12 Mbps and upload speeds of 2-5 Mbps.
It looks like most carriers’ 4G networks will provide speeds around the same ballpark so coverage area is going to be key.
By the end of 2010, we expect the 4G coverage to look like this:
- AT&T 4G (LTE): LTE trials in late 2010, deployment in 2011
- Sprint 4G (WiMax): 120 million
- T-Mobile “4G” (HSPA+): 206 million (Note: T-Mobile has not confirmed they will call their HSPA+ network 4G)
- Verizon 4G (LTE): 100 million (will double in 2011)
Unfortunately, it looks like Verizon will be moving to tiered data pricing by the time LTE is available. Verizon’s CTO Anthony Melone hinted at this when he told the Wall Street journal, “as much data as you can consume is the big issue that has to change.”
T-Mobile will have the largest “4G” coverage this year, so we expect they will have a HSPA+ handset to take advantage of it. They will offer their first HSPA+ device, the webConnect Rocket USB modem, starting this Sunday.
If you had to pick a new carrier today and were basing your decision only on getting a 4G handset, which one would you choose?
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I guess it depends on the tiered pricing of Verizon but I’d stick with them! I have faith it’ll top all and don’t mind waiting.
The chart you provide is useless. Who cares how many people are covered by 4G by the end of 2010 if there are no 4G handsets? To my knowledge, only Sprint will have a 4G handset out by the end of 2010. Therefore, Sprint is the only relevant 4G carrier in 2010.
No, I don’t count 4G usb dongles or mifi’s as relevant. That’s a niche market.
Will the G1& Palm Pre be able used on the 4G
Sprint:
Plus: 4-8 dl / 2 ul Gbps, Supersonic 4G phone this Summer, no stupd 5GB cap ripoff
Minus: 120ms latency
T-Mob:
Plus: 4-8 / 2 Gbps almost 4G speed, 70ms latency
Minus: No 4G phones till the year end, ripoff 5GB cap, not the largest coverage in US even in 3G
Verizon and AT&T:
Plus: Possible 4G network in some market at the end of the year
Minus: not clear what latency, No phones, No info about Cap limits
LATENCY, CAP LIMIT and PHONE AVAILABILITY are the major issues
With >100ms latency online games are not playable (means basically 1000/100=10 frames per second bottleneck) and the voice over the IP is not bearable well
5GB cap means: 15 minutes download of 700MB DivX movie or Netflix show and you already spent 5 days of your monthly 5GB cap !
FYI Comcast cable has more then 250GB flexible cap.
As a funny but REAL info for you: if you by ignorance get this amount of traffic (250GB) over wireless you will be fined
Sprint 3G: $12,500 (5 cents/MB)
Sprint 4G: zero
Tmob: $50,000 (20 cents/MB)
AT&T: $100,000 (40 cents/MB)
Yes, these are thousands of dollars. Check yourselves.
Sorry for mistake: with 3G AT&T you will pay $122,500
http://mobile-broadband-services-review.toptenreviews.com/
3G Verizon by the way charges only $62,500.
Only…ROTFLMAO
First of all your gay for using the word rotflmao…. go back to school and learn how to add. AT&T will charge 2,500 dollars for 250 gigs in one month.
And your also gay if you stream movies or play games on a retarded phone. Just my opinion
Stan, you can’t multiply either. It is $100,000 for AT&T.