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Currently, Verizon Wireless is the largest of all North American cell phone carriers and based on today’s announcement, it seems they want to keep it that way.  Verizon is currently testing 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) networks in Minneapolis, Columbus, Ohio, and Northern New Jersey and in Budapest, Dusseldorf, and Madrid in Europe.

LTE uses the 700 MHz spectrum which was recently auctioned off by the FCC and quickly snapped up by AT&T and Verizon.  According to Verizon CTO Dick Lynch, field tests have shown LTE to be capable of download rates in the range of 50 megabits per second, but final speeds may likely vary.

Based on the results of the tests so far Verizon Wireless aims to launch its first commercial 4G LTE service at some point in 2010.  Verizon has also noted that they will be continuing the present 3G services they offer “well into the next decade”, so all the users out there reluctant to upgrade should have nothing to worry about

Read [ZDnet]