Verizon's Mike Haberman today detailed a number of improvements coming to the carrier's LTE network next year. In short, the carrier in red will be rolling out carrier aggregation, adding more coverage for VoLTE, and continuing to refarm its PCS spectrum for LTE.
Perhaps the most notable change is the implementation of carrier aggregation. According to a report by Fierce Wireless:
Mike Haberman, Verizon's vice president of network support, said Verizon is testing carrier aggregation right now on its network to ensure it can work properly, and devices that can support carrier aggregation will come into the market after that. Carrier aggregation, which is the most well-known and widely used technique of the LTE Advanced standard, bonds together disparate bands of spectrum to create wider channels and produce more capacity and faster speeds.
In addition, Verizon is working on refarming its PCS spectrum for LTE:
Haberman also confirmed that in addition to New York City, Verizon has started refarming PCS spectrum for LTE in Cleveland and around 10 other markets. Haberman said that Verizon will refarm its PCS spectrum for LTE as usage decreases on its 3G CDMA network. Additionally, he said that, as more customers use Voice over LTE, that will free up more PCS spectrum that is currently used for voice service.
On the coverage front, Fierce Wireless reports that Verizon's network will eventually support 4x4 MIMO:
Another LTE Advanced technology Verizon will introduce is higher orders of MIMO. Currently, Verizon's network supports 2x2 MIMO, meaning two transmitters and two receivers, which is a standard for LTE. Haberman said Verizon will be launching products that support 4x4 MIMO, which he said will improve devices' uplink performance and enhance coverage.
Finally, Haberman states that VoLTE deployment has been going well, and it is set to become Verizon's default voice offering as it continues to mature.
Source: Fierce Wireless
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Reader comments
Verizon shares plans for LTE Advanced in 2015
The original FierceWireless piece contains an assurance from a Verizon suit that this will NOT impact 3G users and something about being still committed to supporting 3G through 2019.
I'll stick with Sprint! Seriously!
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Okay, AT&T care to respond? Hello? <<<echoes and crickets>>>
I wish US Cellular was still here in Missouri. i would be with them. Great coverage everywhere I went. Don't get me wrong, they lagged on the data side until 2011 it was still 1X data, but they ramped 3G and 4G in quickly and it was fast.
No U.S. Cellular here in Ohio. We've never had it. It's the only CDMA carrier with a 4G Moto G LTE.
I just hope this doesn't turn my Moto G into a doorstop/WiFi-only device, and yes, I am near Cleveland. I would get a 4G Moto G, but only U.S. Cellular has a CDMA-compatible version...
I wish US Cellular was still here in Missouri. i would be with them. Great coverage everywhere I went. Don't get me wrong, they lagged on the data side until 2011 it was still 1X data, but they ramped 3G and 4G in quickly and it was fast.
How quickly do you think this transition will take? I am sure you will get a good 2 years on that phone
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So will users on Verizon still be able to use data and make calls at the same time if the are on a refarmed PCS data connection or are they relying on VOIP to save them? In the old days, V customers couldn't use their data and make phone calls at the same time.....
New Tech cost Money!
If you want to save money go to Sprint and you can have all the 3g you can eat, if you get a signal
I assume your comment was directed at my statement...
If so.. I'll keep my Samsung Galaxy Note 4 on T-Mobile's EXCELLENT Unlimited Everything 4G LTE for $80.00 a month..
But thank you for your suggestion.
Not really unlimited
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It is unlimited idiot I use 60 gigs a month myself
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And that's why they throttle and limit other accounts. It's yours and you have a right to it, but 60 gig a month is quite a bit of hogging data.
60gigs a month, look away from the phone and enjoy life.
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Yeah, dude, get a life
Thank God you are on t-mobile and not clogging up my Verizon bandwidth :)
It is 100% true unlimited in everything other than tethering on stock (non-rooted) phones. Tether is limited to 6GB but phone data is unlimited with no throttling in any way shape or form. I've hit 200GB on some good months. Was still getting 70 Mpbs download speeds.
http://benton.org/headlines/t-mobile-says-its-not-planning-throttle-unli...
Why do people keep thinking that T-Mobile throttles??? They don't. If you pay for the unlimited high speed plan, you get exactly that: unlimited high speed.
So yes, it is really unlimited.
I pay just over $80 a month for unlimited on Verizon. You can't have any.
Posted from the redheaded stepchild of the Nexii
"Re-farming" huh?
They need to re-farm there prices.. and come up with a better crop..
What's 1 Line with Unlimited Data cost these days on Verhizon? $130.00+ Taxes...?
Well, unlimited is no longer available on VZW, hasn't been for years well mostly.
Isn't the Moto g a 3G phone?
What about the people that are still using 3G only phones?
Only 20% of Verizon customers are using devices that are "3G" only. This overall number shirks in markets like New York City.
I'm seeing stronger signal and faster speeds in Brooklyn. I'm good.
I read the other day that around 40% of the VZW customer base is on either 3G or 1X. Remember, feature phones don't do LTE...
As mean as it may sound, they need to get with it and get a 4G phone. Why the 4S for example was readily available until three months ago boggles my mind.
Posted via the Android Central App on my Droid Turbo.
Are you willing to buy 4G phone for me? Verizon still sells the 3G only Moto G to THIS DAY and if service degrades because of this, they should make it right somehow.
They are not refarming ALL of the 3G capacity. They are just adjusting the ratio to meet changes in usage. But eventually all 3G will go away and you'll just have to bite the bullet. With all products, companies stop supporting them after a certain point when they are outdated.
Sure, 3G is going away eventually. I hope it is still around in the useful life of my phone. I was expecting 3G to start going away in a year or two, not today. Remember, I just bought the 3G-only Moto G a few months ago, not years ago. They still sell it.
It does appear that they're only talking about PCS spectrum here (1900 mHz if I recall), so maybe I won't notice anything.
Time to upgrade, bra
Nice! I just hope everything goes smoothly so we can get rid of CDMA. Even though that's not set until 2020. But still its nice to know that we are on the way to that point.