AppleInsider Staff
Verizon, America's largest wireless provider, announced on Monday the launch of its new XLTE network, an enhanced version of its 4G wireless data that offers double the previous speed available on the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, as well as the LTE-compatible iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display.
Verizon said its new XLTE network has launched in neighborhoods or areas where demand is high, covering markets in 44 out of 50 U.S. states. It's expected to help during especially busy periods like rush hour, lunch time, or in crowded areas.
The full list of XLTE markets includes New York City, Miami, Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago and virtually every other major city in the country, along with dozens of smaller markets.
"The industry and tech world recognize this is a big deal, and we want consumers to know, too," said Ken Dixon, chief marketing officer of Verizon Wireless. "We continue to offer the very best network, bar none. Now, XLTE provides an even greater advantage to customers by doubling the 4G LTE bandwidth and providing faster peak speeds in cities coast to coast."
Verizon says its new XLTE network, which is available in markets where the AWS spectrum has been activated, will deliver double the bandwidth to customers with compatible devices, along with faster peak data speeds.
Customers with legacy LTE devices, such as Apple's iPhone 5, will also benefit from the extra capacity crated by XLTE capable devices moving to the AWS spectrum.
Charles Martin
Malcolm Owen
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
Wesley Hilliard
Andrew Orr
65 Comments
Yay! Now I can reach my usage cap twice as fast!
Well actually it's more than just for the Apple devices. It's for a wide range of devices on the Verizon network. Phones Moto X DROID ULTRA DROID MAXX DROID MINI HTC One (M8) HTC One Max LG G2 LG Lucid 3 Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Samsung Galaxy Galaxy S5 Samsung Galaxy S4 Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini Samsung ATIV SE Lumia Icon Blackberry Q10 Blackberry Z30 iPhone 5C iPhone 5S Tablets iPad Air iPad Mini Retina LG G Pad Samsung Note 10.1 Samsung Galaxy Note Pro Jetpacks and Modems UML295 USB Modem Jetpack MHS291L Jetpack Mifi5510L
An article like this would benefit greatly if it were to state if the increased speed applies to download, upload or both. The commercial sort of suggests it applies to uploads: "for everyone to stream and share more".
Always makes me question the results when companies use phrases such as "2x faster" or "up to x% faster". Unless you know the original speeds that the company is expecting, how can you prove it's faster.
Isn't this just the same thing Sprint did with their Spark service back in October? Basically putting LTE as accessible on a different spectrum.