December 06, 2014
Technology changes quickly and wireless technology certainly doesn't stand still. However 3G has still been the most common data technology widely deployed in the United States and worldwide. Verizon, one of the big 4 in the US mobile service industry, has announced it intends to switch off its 3G service in 2015 to make room for more LTE bandwidth. The 4G LTE era is here.
The first Verizon LTE device appeared sometime in 2010, and the company has been steadily building its LTE coverage. It started with the 700 Mhz (block C range) but is now aggressively expending into AWS 1700 / 2100 Mhz. The company calls this XLTE. This is merely a marketing term for LTE. (people like catchy names I guess)
What will happen with the prepaid / no-contract service providers which have been limited to 3G only? What about those scores of prepaid clients with 3G only mobile phones? We assume that Verizon Wireless resellers will all soon offer 4G phones and capabilities. Still, prepare that if you are a Verizon network user with a 3G only phone, you will lose data connectivity altogether...and sooner than later.