Verizon Is Boosting 4G LTE In US; Will It Become A 4G-Only Network?
Verizon is making a huge shift by putting its network entirely on 4G LTE in accordance with its plans to move away from 3G in the future.
Verizon's latest shift is going to bring mixed reactions in the U.S. The nation's largest wireless carrier is slowly switching priority to 4G LTE as it plans to make 3G part of the history. It is certainly great news for those who want speed as Verizon offers the best LTE network in the U.S. At the same time, it is possible that some users will need to upgrade devices for LTE capability. But there is nothing to fear as the transition will take place over the next few years and hopefully LTE will be a standard across all smartphones.
According to GigaOm, Verizon started testing LTE on PCS band, a part of the spectrum which is generally reserved for 2G and 3G. While the change is a long process, Verizon has pledged to keep the 3G service live for at least next six years for pre-paid users and long-term contract consumers.
The information was tipped to GigaOm by spectrum enthusiast Milan Milanovic, who found a Nexus 5 and Galaxy S4 connect to LTE on a PCS band in Manhattan. The change has also been spotted in Cleveland, Milanovic added.
Verizon hasn't officially commented on the switch from 3G to LTE and a spokesperson did not reveal a timeframe for doing so. This suggests the transition is in its initial stages and the carrier will bring notice to consumers when the change is on a fast track.
"I pinged Verizon, and spokeswoman Debra Lewis confirmed that Verizon is indeed testing LTE on the PCS band, though she said Verizon wouldn't go into any specifics on locations or timing for a commercial launch," GigaOm's Kevin Fitchard wrote. "Lewis also made the point that this should hardly come as surprise since Verizon has said it would begin repurposing a portion of its 3G bandwidth for LTE in 2015."
While there is a chance of losing 3G service over time, 2G network's existence is prominent. Verizon uses 2G for voice, making it an important part of its network.
