Verizon Wireless’ LTE in Rural America program is inching closer to fruition with the news that Pioneer Cellular has recently completed end-to-end data testing using its recently deployed network. That network uses upper-band, C-Block 700 MHz spectrum assets licensed from Verizon Wireless running over network infrastructure deployed by Pioneer.
Pioneer, which announced joining the program last December, is on track to begin a commercial launch of the service next spring covering 260 million potential customers across its coverage areas of central and western Oklahoma. Pioneer said it has installed cell towers, fiber optic cables, network hardware and software and worked with Verizon Wireless engineers for the LTE offering.
Verizon Wireless noted that it has signed up 13 rural carriers to its LTE program covering 2.6 million potential customers across 10 states. The carrier is set to hit 200 million pops covered by the end of this year with its own LTE deployment.
The program has rubbed a section of the rural industry the wrong way as a number of smaller carriers have themselves purchased lower-band 700 MHz spectrum that they claim could result in devices and equipment that are not interoperable between the networks.
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