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4G iPad reportedly slated to be sold by Verizon, AT&T

The two telecom carriers will carry a next-generation iPad running on the fast, next-generation wireless technology, sources tell The Wall Street Journal.

Dara Kerr Former senior reporter
Dara Kerr was a senior reporter for CNET covering the on-demand economy and tech culture. She grew up in Colorado, went to school in New York City and can never remember how to pronounce gif.
Dara Kerr

With rumors circulating about the debut of the "iPad 3" in March, there was word today that a version of the next iPad will take advantage of next-generation 4G LTE wireless technology.

Apple
Both AT&T and Verizon will once again be carrying the new iPad, which is slated to use the 4G network, according to The Wall Street Journal. However, it's not yet clear if other carriers, like Sprint and T-Mobile, will also sell it.

Compatibility with 4G networks has been talked about since before the second-generation model came out last year. And as iPad aficionados salivate over the next model, which will supposedly use the Gobi 4000 chip and be the first device from Apple to feature faster speeds, the telecom carriers hope that this technology will help them cash in.

Currently, AT&T and Verizon are the only U.S. carriers that offer 4G LTE wireless networking.

According to The Wall Street Journal, with the release of the iPad 4G, the two telecom companies plan to both attract new subscribers and get already existing subscribers to upgrade their plans. The expectation is that once people are used to the higher speeds, there will be an across-the-board demand for faster service on all wireless products.