With Valley, Verizon 4G LTE will reach 200M people

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

When Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network makes its debut in the Mahoning Valley on Dec. 15, it will mark a milestone for the communications giant.

With the addition of the Youngstown-Warren area, Verizon’s 4G will be accessible to 200 million people, said David Small, vice president and chief technical officer for Verizon.

“We’ve heard a lot of noise from our regional team in Ohio and from Youngstown in particular,” Small said Friday. “200 million is a pretty miraculous feat.”

The 4G LTE network — which stands for long-term evolution — is known for its high speeds and reduced lag time.

It was introduced Dec. 5, 2010, and had an immediate reach of 100 million people.

Its reach soon grew to 185 million, and when Verizon turns the switch on Dec. 15, it will top the 200 million mark.

Verizon hopes to expand the 4G LTE footprint to match its 3G audience and reach about 290 million people by the end of 2013, Small said.

Small said 4G LTE is just the tip of the iceberg for Verizon, which also is tinkering with projects such as Human Kiosk. That technology, using only a power source, can connect via video, which Small says could be beneficial in the case of natural disasters.

“It’s really, really powerful when you stop and think about how speed matters and latency matters,” Small said.

He said the LTE module, retrofitted to the back of a high-definition video camera, helps lessen the need for satellite equipment.

Verizon also has run tests where 4G LTE is embedded into an electrical meter, which eventually could help business and property owners save money on electric bills.

“I think our challenge and one of our responsibilities is to get out in front of the consumer base and show them what this does,” Small said.