Verizon reconfirms 4G LTE for all future smartphones
Reported first by CNET, Verizon affirms once again that every smartphone it will offer going forward will carry 4G.
In case there was any doubt that Verizon means LTE business, Big Red just dispelled that myth. Again.
CNET first learned that Verizon would bless all forthcoming smartphones with 4G in January at CES, where Verizon called LTE a "hard requirement."
David Small, Verizon Wireless' CTO, reiterated the point in an interview with Dow Jones yesterday.
In addition to committing fully--and publicly--to LTE handsets, Verizon will also double its LTE markets from nearly 200 to 400 by the end of 2012. In fact, tomorrow marks Verizon's rollout of its 203rd market with the addition of seven new cities.
Verizon's LTE promise all but confirms expectations of a 4G LTE iPhone, plus LTE-ready Windows phones and BlackBerrys, not only Android, the majority of handsets currently represented on Verizon's shelves.
In January, Verizon told CNET that it would complete its LTE infrastructure by the end of 2013. Since then, the company has increased its estimated coverage from 250 million people to 260 million.
Alaska will apparently be the only state Verizon won't cover with LTE before the end of next year.