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

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Since the middle of 2008, Baskinb Ridge, N.J.-based Verizon a division of , has been testingf what it calls itsfourthn generation, or 4G, network in 25 citiews across the country and world, includinf Columbus. “Columbus is always a good place for saidTom Sawanobori, Verizon’s vice president of “It has good demographics (and) there are many earlyu adopters (of technology).” Sawanobori said Verizohn plans to continue testing the high-speed network through the middle of the year in Verizon is spending approximately $50 billion to buil its fourth generation and spent about $258 million in Ohio in just the past Sawanobori said.
He declined to say if Centralk Ohio will be among the first markets to have newnetworkk service, but did say the companty plans to roll it out “pretty over the next four years. When it does Verizon customers who want to use the network will have to buynew Verizon’s networks are based on a technology called CDMA which is used almost exclusively in the United States. Throughout the rest of the cell phone networks are based onGSM technology. Verizon’ws fourth generation network is based on Long TermEvolutiobn technology. LTE is derived from GSM technology, and Verizon officials believwe LTE will become the dominant technology choice inthe future.
“Manyu other major wireless service providers, both domestidc and foreign, have also selected LTE as the technology for thei r4G deployments,” Verizon said in its 2008 annual reportf filed with the . “As a result, we believes that LTE will provide us with the opportunity to adopty an access platform withglobal scale.” Verizon’x network will use radio waves currently being used by television stations. The company is waiting for the TV broadcasters to abandon the 800 MHzand 1800-190 0 MHz spectrum bands by June 12 as part of theidr conversion to digital broadcasting.
Once Verizon can take over the spectrunm and get its new network up and Sawanobori said it should be able to post data transfefr speeds 10 times faster than that ofthe company’as third generation, or 3G, That’s when the world will open up for Verizon, said Ben a telecommunications industry expert in Raleigh, N.C., who holdzs 28 patents. “With the LTE you can run anythingover it,” Levitan said. “It’se really a way to consolidate all telecommunicatiob services at a lowed price and bring it insidethe house.
” For example, Verizonj could offer home telephone service, wireless phon service, cable TV service and Interney access over its new network, Levitan said. It also won’t requirre Verizon to run cabling or wirew to businesses or homes because customerse will be able to pick up servicwe fromthe airwaves. Not only that, Levitajn said Verizon should have a chancee to gain market share among cellphonew users. Currently, only 20 percent of the worldwidee cell phone market uses CDMA By switching toa GSM-based Levitan said Verizon should have access to the remaininb 80 percent of users when they eventually upgradr to a 4G phone.