Other networks actually are more expensive because I would pay for the plan and then carry money around for a payphone when I wanted to make a call. If you're upset about Verizon's prices, don't pay them.
Go to T-mobile, they are cheap and will be getting the N1.
So does anyone who actually knows more about this new network other than that it will be expensive have anything to tell us about what it will be like? Will it be that hsdpa? When I was reading some of the early information about it, it seemed pretty scalable, adaptable, and everything else a new technology that mostly exists on paper.
3Devious
Yes, I know a lot about it.
It will run in the 700 MHz frequency won during the auctions of the public TV airwaves - better in-building propagation (penetration).
Theoretical speeds max at 100 Mbps downlink/50 Mbps uplink, you will hear 12 Mbps downlink and 6 uplink to start, as the equipment manufacturers tweak their algorithims in the future, the speeds will increase. There was a rumored story that the VZW tests in Boston hit 60 Mbps down.
Cost - I wouldn't actually say it WILL cost more - I think that once they are rolling out, you will see different pricing structures similar to your home cable internet/fiber provider Silver/Gold/Platinum - based on the speeds that you want. For the enterprise customer, QoS is achievable as well. The other thing about cost is on the carrier side - it costs VZW 1/5 the cost to deliver LTE, and it costs them less to roll it out because you need less cell sites on the 700 MHz frequency.
Latency - The huge difference that you will see with LTE is a latency quoted around ~ 25 ms.....current EVDO - Rev A letency ~ 150 ms. Video, high bandwidth applications will run like they do on your broadband network - even better in some cases due to the IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystems packet switching capabilities) infrastructure. Video conferencing, VOIP, callaboration are all very real capabilities.
At first, M2M and Data Cards will take advantage of LTE, but I wouldnt rule out a handheld device at some point next year to see VZW flex their muscles.
The most exciting part of this rollout is that VZW owns the rights to put a cell ANYWHERE in the 49 US states which exclude Alaska (I guess they dont like Sarah Palin either) . They are the only carrier to do this, and they own the largest "pipe" between 24 MHz and 48 MHz of any of the carriers....in contrast, AT&T purchased "B Block" licenses, same 700 MHz, yet they only purchased licenses in the same cities they operate in and MAX OUT at 12 MHZ - no room for growth.
Merry Christmas
