Verizon said it will sell a smartphone that runs on its super-fast fourth-generation network as soon as mid-2011, six months earlier than the company had said before.
The Basking Ridge, N.J.-based company said the new device, which could arrive three to six months after the carrier launches 4G service known as Long Term Evolution, will be able to send data up to 10 times faster than current networks. The company expects to begin rolling out the service by the end of the year.
It will be some time before full coverage is available, so the new handset will feature dual chipsets to be compatible with both LTE and Verizon's existing cellular technology.
"Very likely, we initially won't have a single, integrated chip," said Anthony Melone, Verizon's chief technology officer.
Rival Sprint already sells 4G service in some markets on a competing technology known as WiMax through a partnership with Clearwire. Last month, the carrier said it plans to release its first 4G handset as early as this summer, as part of a turnaround effort to win back subscribers.
AT&T and T-Mobile are still planning their 4G networks.
Source: Mobilmedia
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