Kahului and Lahaina included on list of 4G LTE network in 2011

By Wendy Osher

Three Hawaii communities are among a list of initial 4G LTE markets to be covered by Verizon Wireless’ new 4G LTE network in 2011.  Kahului-Wailuku, Lahaina, and Honolulu are among the 140 markets nationwide that will be launched in 2011.

At a news conference at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Verizon Wireless announced a suite of 10 forthcoming 4G LTE devices.

The new 4G LTE network provides laptop users with speeds up to 10 times faster than the company’s 3G network.  The aggressive campaign offer service from coast to coast is anticipated for completion by 2013.

“For consumers, our 4G LTE network isn’t about simply doing things faster,” said Marni Walden, vice president and chief marketing officer of Verizon Wireless.  “It’s about doing things we couldn’t do before.  In the consumer electronics arena, it’s not just about devices.  It’s about those powerful devices with deeply integrated applications and how our 4G LTE network truly transforms the wireless experience with rich multimedia and real-time response intervals.”

Verizon Wireless also today unveiled a suite of 10 consumer-oriented devices that will run on the new 4G LTE network by the middle of this year.  The devices include: smartphones from HTC, LG, Motorola and Samsung; tablets from Motorola and Samsung; a MiFi from Novatel Wireless and a mobile hotspot from Samsung; and two notebooks from HP.

Verizon expects these consumer-oriented devices to be available by mid-2011, with some available as early as March 2011.

New applications are also being fully integrated into the new smartphones for use over the 4G LTE network.  An upgraded version of Skype mobile takes advantage of video capabilities enabled by 4G LTE’s speed, allowing users to see and hear friends and family when making or receiving Skype-to-Skype video calls.  EA’s ROCK BAND leverages the high-speed, low-latency 4G LTE network to provide the next generation of multiplayer gaming.  At launch, this will be the first time the game can be played with friends over the mobile network.