Verizon has announced plans to roll out its LTE wireless network this Sunday, December 5. At launch, the telecom giant will offer 4G connectivity to 38 US cities and more than 60 airports, covering approximately 110 million people by the end of 2010. The company intends to expand that footprint to nationwide coverage by the end of 2013.
The 4G network will provide download speeds of 5 to 12Mb/s and upload rates of 2 to 5Mb/s, which Verizon says is up to 10x faster than its EV-DO network. The company also claims its 4G service halves the latency of its 3G. Plans will start at $50 for 5GB of data, while a 10GB option costs $80. Both options cost $10 for every gig you go over.
Verizon doesn't have any 4G-compatible smartphones ready to take advantage of its speedier network, but it will offer two different USB modems for $100 when the service goes live. Mind you, they're $100 after you sign a two-year contract and cash a $50 main-in rebate. 4G handsets should arrive early next year, especially with CES coming.