Verizon executives on Friday said that a valuable chunk of newly purchased analog TV spectrum is a "transformative opportunity" that will let the company offer vastly faster wireless broadband service within the next three years.
In a conference call with investors on Friday morning, Verizon Communications CEO Ivan Seidenberg and Verizon Wireless CEO Lowell McAdam opened up about their plans for 700Mhz spectrum obtained through a recently concluded Federal Communications Commission auction. Early word of the plans began trickling out Thursday night after a gag rule of sorts lifted.
"With the 700MHz C block, we're in a premier position to provide the fastest (network) and most complete footprint across the country," McAdam said.
In short, the company views the C block, a nationwide chunk of licenses subject to so-called "open access" rules, as a way to "supercharge" its strategy for rolling out a fourth-generation (4G) network using long-term evolution (LTE) technology. Verizon opted last November to go with that new wireless standard backed by GSM industry players, which will allow its customers to use the same mobile devices and applications globally.
The timeline for 4G roll-out at this point looks like this: Verizon Wireless has already begun LTE field trials and network testing with partners Vodafone and China Mobile this year and will work on finalizing standards. The company plans to select vendors, develop dual-mode devices, and begin network deployment in the second half of 2009, and to launch the network commercially in late 2010. National coverage is expected ... Read more
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