Verizon to launch 4G in C-U this year
CHAMPAIGN - Verizon Wireless plans to expand its 4G LTE network to include Champaign-Urbana and four other markets in Illinois by the end of this year, the company said Monday.
The network which the company said has download speeds 10 times faster than its existing 3G network should make it easier to stream movies, conduct mobile business, download songs and upload photos.
The 4G LTE network will have download speeds of 5 to 12 megabytes per second, compared with conventional 3G speeds of 0.6 to 1.4 megabytes per second. The actual rate depends on how much traffic is on the network.
Currently, Verizon Wireless offers 4G in 39 markets, including Chicago, St. Louis and West Lafayette, Ind.
Areas the company plans to add this year include Champaign-Urbana, Bloomington-Normal, Rockford, Springfield and Moline.
Verizon Wireless says it plans to have nationwide coverage by 2013.
The move comes at a time when other major wireless carriers AT&T Wireless, Sprint and T-Mobile USA are expanding their 4G networks.
AT&T offers 4G mobile broadband coverage in a wide swath of central Illinois connecting Chicago and St. Louis.
T-Mobile, which AT&T plans to acquire, offers 4G in three Illinois markets: Chicago, Kankakee and Rockford.
Sprint lists Chicago as its only Illinois market to date.
Verizon Wireless spokeswoman Carolyn Schamberger couldn't say precisely what month Verizon's 4G service will become available in Champaign-Urbana or how broadly that geographic area is defined.
But she did note the company introduced its first 4G smartphone the HTC ThunderBolt last week. When launched in Chicago, that phone retailed for $249.99, with a 4G data plan starting at $29.99 a month for unlimited access.
The phone is "backward-compatible" with the 3G network, so if users travel outside the 4G boundaries, they'll still be able to get Verizon Wireless service, she said.
The HTC ThunderBolt is one of 10 4G devices Verizon Wireless is scheduled to release by mid-year, Schamberger said.
Already, the company has launched two 4G USB modems for laptops, and 4G mobile hotspot devices are expected to hit the market soon, she said.
The 4G difference will be especially noticeable to people who use live video streaming or who like to play video games on their phones, Schamberger said.
Verizon Wireless said 4G will typically enable users to download a song in four seconds, upload a photo in six seconds and stream movies without "buffering" the awkward halts in videos associated with slower-speed downloads.
To enable the 4G network locally, Verizon Wireless had to upgrade all its cell tower sites in the Champaign-Urbana area, Schamberger said.
"This is something that's been in the works for several years," she said. "It's not a situation where we flipped a switch and are offering 4G."
How about getting consistent and reliable service to the blackout belt through the inner southwest part of town?? For as long as there have been cell phones, this area has never had good service and Verizon, in spite of their clever commercials, is not immune. The first provider who can get a reliable signal to me near Mattis and Kirby will have my business, between Neil and Prospect on Green is worse! They can make towers look like trees and other objects, it's done all the time.
the service in SW Champaign is suspect quite often. In the last few days we've been having more than the normal amount of problems. I suspect Verizon needs to investigate getting a tower put up in the area, or checking the towers that service the area.
that said. anyone buying a Thunderbolt 4g in Champaign should be aware that until 4g service is on, the 4g radio in your phone is a major battery drain as it tries to find a signal every few minutes. Look up an App called PHONE INFO on your marketplace. It will let you set your phone to 3g only mode (CDMA Auto/PRL) which will help conserve battery.
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