[July 01, 2011] Verizon launches faster network Tweet Jun 22, 2011 (Charleston Daily Mail - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Verizon Wireless announced it has completed deployment of its fourth-generation wireless network in Charleston, South Charleston and Yeager Airport. It is the world's first deployment of a fourth-generation Long Term Evolution network, the company said Tuesday. Customers with 4G LTE smart phones, laptop modems and hotspots will be able to take advantage of speeds up to 10 times faster than the company's 3G network, Verizon Wireless said. Mark Frazier, president of Verizon Wireless' Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia Region, said in a prepared statement, "How significant is 4G LTE? Our advanced technology is changing the way we all work and play. Today, it gives us the ability to move large files faster and enjoy smooth mobile video conferencing. But, this is only the beginning, and the opportunities with 4G LTE are limitless." Verizon Wireless said that in real-world, fully loaded network environments, 4G LTE users should experience average data rates of 5 to 12 megabits per second on the downlink and 2 to 5 megabits per second on the uplink. Megabit per second is a measure of bandwidth, or the total information flow on a telecommunications network, per second. Verizon Wireless began rolling out its fourth-generation service in Charleston in December. The company announced in October it plans to deploy the service to Huntington, Parkersburg, Wheeling, Weirton, Beckley, Clarksburg, Morgantown, Fairmont and Martinsburg by the end of 2013. Tony Melone, Verizon Wireless' senior vice president and chief technology officer, said during an October press conference in Charleston that the company also would expand its coverage on Interstate 79 so that within the next year customers would be able to stay connected all the way from Charleston to Clarksburg. Melone also said that when the projects are complete, the company will have invested more than $100 million in West Virginia. Although Verizon Wireless is the dominant wireless provider in the nation, it is a newcomer to most of West Virginia. Verizon Wireless bought West Virginia Wireless in February 2007 for an undisclosed price. Verizon Wireless entered the Charleston-Huntington market in October 2008 when it unveiled an upgraded $54 million network along the Interstate 64 corridor. The company acquired Alltel Wireless in January 2009. Nationwide, Verizon Wireless serves 104 million total wireless connections, including more than 88 million retail customers. The company is headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., and has 85,000 employees nationwide. Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone. Contact writer George Hohmann at [email protected] or 304-348-4836. To see more of the Charleston Daily Mail, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.dailymail.com/. Copyright (c) 2011, Charleston Daily Mail, W.Va. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]