Verizon Provides Some Numbers From 4G Testing
By Chris Weiss
Verizon has been busy preparing its 4G network, expected to launch later this year. It has been testing the network in Boston and Seattle since last August, and today the telecomm provider offered some numbers based upon its tests. The LTE network doesn’t quite make it close to the 100 Mbps speeds that 4G is supposed to offer, with peaks coming in around 40 to 50 Mbps for dowloads and 20 to 25 Mbps for uploads. What can you really expect on an average day? Verizon quotes the average speeds on a populated network at 5 to 12 Mbps for downloads and 2 to 5 Mbps for uploads.
In comparison, Sprint’s WiMax network, which is already up and running in 27 markets, offers average speeds of 3 to 6 Mbps for downloads. That compares to 600 Kbps to 1.4 Mbps on Sprint’s 3G network.
Verizon will launch its LTE network in 25 to 30 markets around the country later this year. In a recent interview, Verizon Wireless senior vice president Tony Melone stated that Verizon plans to double its 4G footprint within 15 months of launch and fill out its entire 3G coverage area with 4G by the end of 2013. [via Electronista]
