Comments made by a Verizon Wireless executive indicate that the company plans to debut its first Long Term Evolution handset by the middle of 2011. The bad news is that Verizon is pretty sure LTE will usher in the era of tiered data pricing.Verizon Wireless is in the middle of building out its LTE network. The network is being trialled in Boston and Seattle, and Verizon has said that it plans to have 25 to 30 markets live with LTE by the end of 2010. That all sounds promising. The only problem is, Verizon won't have any phones running LTE when the network launches.

Instead, similar to how things went with its EVDO 3G network, the first devices available with LTE radios inside will be limited to laptop dongles and other hardware such as the MiFi. The initial batch of devices will undoubtedly host both CDMA EVDO and LTE chipsets, allowing customers to toggle back and forth between 3G and 4G depending on where they are what networks are available.

What we all really want, however, are 4G-equipped smartphones. No one has brought any to market yet. That is going to change...eventually.

In a recent interview, Verizon Wireless' chief technology officer, Tony Malone, said the company will have an LTE handset ready by the middle of 2011. That's about six months sooner than Verizon had previously forecast. As expected, Malone said that the device won't be straight LTE, but will combine CDMA and LTE chipsets.

For the sake of comparison, Sprint has indicated that it will have WiMax-equipped smartphones in the market before the end of 2011 -- at least six months ahead of Verizon Wireless. Sprint's 4G network already has a sizable footprint and it will grow dramatically over the course of 2010.

If you're completely pumped about 4G download speeds, however, prepare for some disappointment. Those $60 monthly unlimited plans we're using to paying for may become a thing of the past.

Malone said about data plans. "As much data as you can consume is the big issue that has to change. It's one thing to say all you can eat is gone. It's another to have consumers worrying, 'Can I stream this radio?' That's what we don't want."

Aww, that's a shame, but not a surprising position for Verizon to take. AT&T's executive team has made similar comments in recent weeks.