Verizon today debuted a new network called Verizon LTE Advanced, promising 288 million mobile customers across 461 cities 50 percent faster peak internet speeds.
The free upgrade, available today to “most of the latest news devices from major manufacturers” via a software update, utilizes several bandwidth channels to provide faster network speeds.
“Our customers just received a major network enhancement for no additional cost,” Tami Erwin, head of operations for Verizon’s wireless unit, said in a statement. “Verizon LTE Advanced works like a turbocharger on an engine. Speed boosts kick in when you need it most, with big data use. That’s when you get the big peak boost of Verizon LTE Advanced.”
Here’s more from Verizon on the technology behind its new network:
Verizon LTE Advanced uses software to combine two or three bandwidth channels into one larger channel to send data sessions over the most efficient route to completion. This technology is called carrier aggregation and uses a combination of 700 MHz, AWS, and PCS spectrum.
LTE Advanced currently uses a combination of two- and three-carrier aggregation. Customers will continue to enjoy typical download speeds of 5 – 12 Mbps, but two-channel carrier aggregation has shown peak download speeds of up to 225 Mbps, far exceeding the current speeds being experienced by wireless data networks nationwide. While the speeds of two channel carrier aggregation provide a leap forward, three-channel carrier aggregation provides even greater efficiency. Verizon engineers deploying three-channel carrier aggregation have experienced speeds greater than 300 Mbps.
The channel aggregation technique is also being tested by competitors like Sprint, T-Mobile, and AT&T.
Verizon’s announcement comes just after T-Mobile and Sprint rolled out new unlimited data plans. Verizon published a news release shortly thereafter titled “Don’t be fooled by T-Mobile, Sprint announcements.”
A recent RootMetrics report found Verizon again on top for major metrics like data, network speed, reliability, calling and texting.
