[Joe1004]

Hold on to your hats for VZW LTE deployment and the first devices (of which I hope is an amazing new Blackberry!!)

I am lucky enough to live in an area that is in the first markets (Rochester) and of course I had to upgrade one of my employer's USB devices to test on.

30 Mbps down and 5 Mbps up with only 3 bars of signal where I was. This was on multiple tests from a couple different speedtest sites. I didn't have time to mess around with a lot of tests for differing signal strength yet, but holy cow that is amazing. Blows my cable connection out of the water!

$50 per month for a 5 GB limit and $80 for a 10 GB limit.

It will take quite a mobile device to simply handle the data that can be brought down at this bandwidth.

I am impressed.

[tsac]

The first deployment of LTE will be for mobile PC use only via "air cards" or built in adapters in the new PC's being offered.

Cell phones including Blackberrys are not included.

[NJBlackBerry]

Verizon demonstrated it to me, in my office, on Thursday. We are in an LTE rollout. 15mb download, which is pretty cool. Going to wait for the LTE MiFi and then pick one up.

[tsac]

A Blackberry or PC?

[NJBlackBerry]

PC with a 4g USB adapter. No LTE BBs yet.

[Joe1004]

I upgraded two USB data modems with these, one of each brand. (LG or Pantech). I have only tested the Pantech so far.

Verizon is loosely saying mid 2011 for smartphones. With any luck, it will be a cool Blackberry running the OS from the Playbook.

I am reading up that there is quite a lag when you move from LTE to EVDO on the handoff. I haven't had a chance to check that. For our enterprise apps, we use a VPN client that will likely hold on to the connection while this occurs. All a part of of the joy of being a guinea pig.

[DPSkiman]

First comes the network, then comes the devices capable of using it. ATT is in trials today in a few markets as well. A dual-mode CDMA/LTE handset will be quite a trick to pull off, I think you'll see GSM/LTE handsets out first, simply due to the technology.

[Joe1004]

Not so sure about the merge of EVDO and LTE on a handset will too hard.

VZW Global devices already have two radios in them. They could swap the GSM/UMTS radio for the LTE (and associated antennae).

The hard parts will be in the handoff. In theory, the GSM/LTE handoff should be easier. However, VZW's EVDO network is eHRPD which purportedly allows for seamless handoffs between networks.

(if you're bored, read this: 4G Wireless Evolution - Evolution Options from CDMA to LTE: The Benefits of eHRPD )

Where they will have issues is trying to have all three technologies in the same phone. I don't see that happening. LTE will be global and I don't think there will be a need for it.