Considered by some – and self-proclaimed – worldwide leader in LTE, Verizon Wireless is looking to maintain the momentum that begun with its initial network rollout nearly two years ago. The carrier announced today during a press conference at the MobileCON event in San Diego that it was on track to surpass 400 markets covered by its LTE network by Oct. 18, ahead of its initial target of year end.
Verizon Wireless noted that its LTE offering would be available in 417 markets by later this month following the commercial launch of services in 21 new markets. Along with the new markets, Verizon Wireless said it will expand current coverage across 37 markets. The expansion will push LTE coverage to 245 million potential customers, with the carrier still on track to mimic its current 3G coverage of nearly 300 million pops by the end of 2013.
Verizon Wireless CTO Nicola Palmer noted that the carrier’s LTE network currently covered approximately 75% of its CDMA-based footprint and served 11 million of the carrier’s 89 million postpaid customers. While that represents just over 12% of its postpaid customer base, Palmer added that the LTE network was carrying 35% of the carrier’s total data traffic, and that she expects that number to hit 50% in the coming months.
Verizon Wireless rivals are rapidly looking to expand their competing LTE-based services. Both AT&T Mobility and Sprint Nextel have said they expect to have near-nationwide LTE networks running by the end of 2013, while T-Mobile USA is expected to begin rolling out LTE services next year.
With coverage expansion, Palmer also hinted that the carrier was expecting to begin rolling out Voice over LTE services in late 2013 or early 2014. That offering is reliant on broad coverage to provide a consistent quality experience for consumers and once it generates adoption will allow Verizon Wireless to begin re-farming spectrum assets currently supporting its CDMA-based 2G services that carry voice traffic. The carrier claimed in early 2011 to have completed its first VoLTE test call.
A Verizon Wireless spokesman noted earlier this year that the carrier was cautious on the rollout of VoLTE services, explaining that the biggest challenge for VoLTE remains consistent quality, which is something the carrier does not want to risk for its core voice service. Smaller rival MetroPCS rolled out VoLTE services in August, though the end-to-end offering was initially limited to the Dallas market.
As for those spectrum holdings, Palmer noted that the carrier would begin adding 1.7/2.1 GHz spectrum – also known as advanced wireless services spectrum – support for its LTE network beginning next year, with devices supporting those spectrum bands expected to come online around the same time. That spectrum, a large chunk of which the carrier recently acquired from a handful of cable television providers, is expected to provide higher capacity in markets to bolster the broad coverage provided by the LTE network’s current 700 MHz spectrum.
The carrier’s current plans to auction off 700 MHz spectrum holdings in the A- and B-Blocks, which were linked with government approval of the 1.7/2.1 GHz spectrum deal, are still ongoing, with no significant update from Palmer.
Palmer was also limited in details regarding the carrier’s plans for the use of small cells, noting that option was just one of many the carrier was looking at in order to provide needed capacity in certain markets. Other options cited by Palmer included the eventual rollout of LTE-Advanced technology, which despite the marketing hype would actually be the industry’s real move towards true 4G services.
There was also little update on the carrier’s LTE data roaming plans that do not seem to be something that is yet a pressing matter for Verizon Wireless. A number of rural operators have been clamoring for government intervention in forcing larger operators to offer LTE roaming options similar to what was recently done for 3G services.
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