Verizon testing latest technology for high-speed service in Columbus - Business First of Columbus:

http://epractice.eu/people/210536
Since the middle of 2008, Basking Ridge, N.J.-bases Verizon Wireless, a division of , has been testinvg what it calls itsfourth generation, or 4G, networ in 25 cities across the country and including Columbus. “Columbus is always a good place for saidTom Sawanobori, Verizon’s vice president of technology. “Ity has good demographics (and) there are many earl y adopters (of technology).” Sawanobori said Verizon planxs to continue testingthe high-speed network througbh the middle of the year in Verizon is spending approximately $50 billiob to build its fourth generation and spent about $258 millioh in Ohio in just the past year, Sawanobori said.
He decline to say if Central Ohio will be among the first markets to have newnetwork service, but did say the companyu plans to roll it out “pretty aggressively” over the next four When it does come, Verizon customera who want to use the network will have to buy new Verizon’s networks are based on a technologhy called CDMA technology, which is used almost exclusivelyh in the United Throughout the rest of the world, cell phone networksz are based on GSM technology. Verizon’s fourth generatiojn network is based on Long Term Evolution LTE is derived fromGSM technology, and Verizobn officials believe LTE will become the dominant technology choic e in the future.
“Many other major wireless servic providers, both domestic and have also selected LTE as the technology for their 4G Verizon said in its 2008 annual reportt filed withthe . “As a we believe that LTE will provide us with the opportunityg to adopt an access platform withglobal scale.” Verizon’s networkj will use radio waves currentlyy being used by television The company is waiting for the TV broadcastersd to abandon the 800 MHz and 1800-1900 MHz spectrum bands by June 12 as part of their conversionm to digital broadcasting.
Once Verizo n can take over the spectrum and get its new networjk upand running, Sawanobori said it shouldc be able to post data transfed speeds 10 times faster than that of the company’sz third generation, or 3G, network. That’s when the worldc will open upfor Verizon, said Ben Levitan, a telecommunications industry expert in Raleigh, N.C., who holdd 28 patents. “With the LTE network, you can run anything over Levitan said. “It’s really a way to consolidate all telecommunicatioh services at a lower price and bringy it insidethe house.
” For example, Verizon could offer home telephonwe service, wireless phone service, cable TV service and Internet accesa over its new network, Levitamn said. It also won’g require Verizon to run cabling or wirees to businesses or homes because customers will be able to pick up servicee fromthe airwaves. Not only that, Levitan said Verizob should have a chance to gain marke share among cellphone Currently, only 20 percent of the worldwide cell phoner market uses CDMA technology. By switchinvg to a GSM-based technology, Levitan said Verizobn should have access to the remaining 80 percent of users when they eventuallt upgrade to a4G phone.