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Alltel Follows AT&T And Verizon, Chooses LTE For 4G

Long Term Evolution has evolved into the wireless networking technology of choice for the future. The 3GPP and 3GPP2 standards bodies haven't even finalized what LTE is, but now AT&T, Verizon Wireless , and Alltel have picked it as their fourth-generation wireless network technology. This convergence toward a common platform will be extremely beneficial down the road for everyone involved, especially users.

One major issue facing the wireless industry in the United States today is that there are two widely prevalent networking technologies: CDMA and GSM. Verizon, Sprint, Alltel and others use CDMA. T-Mobile, AT&T, and a handful of regional providers all use GSM. The GSM standard is more common worldwide, with some 3 billion subscribers. Many of the world's network operators are heading in the LTE direction, and for two network operators in the United States choosing to switch base technologies to match the rest of the world speaks volumes.

Having two separate networking standards in the U.S. is, quite frankly, a pain in the rear. With three of the five largest network operators officially declaring for LTE, there will be smoother roads for business and consumer users ahead.

Roaming agreements between the network operators should lead to even better coverage than we have today. Since the same technology is involved (and the carriers are at least giving lip service to the notion of openness), it should be easier for subscribers to switch phones from one network provider to the next.

This also will be better for users who need to travel outside of the United States, as their Alltel, AT&T, and Verizon Wireless phones will automatically be compatible with many foreign systems. (AT&T and T-Mobile's phones already are compatible.)

The bad news is that Alltel said it will take three to five years to build out its LTE network. That's longer than what AT&T and Verizon have said, which each are shooting for 2010.

Any way you look at it, LTE is the route to the chosen land when it comes to 4G mobile data technology. With promised download speeds of 100 Mbps (in the lab, not the real word), the mobile Internet is bound to get better and better.

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