verizon wireless

With all of the hoopla over the white iPhone 4 launch and a possible Verizon Wireless CDMA model it's easy to forget that carriers are frantically working to upgrade their cellular data networks. LTE stands for Long Term Evolution, and its the technology behind next generation 4G wireless networks. AT&T along with Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile have all committed to LTE standards.

AT&T, currently the exclusive carrier of the iPhone in the US, plans to begin rolling out its LTE network in mid-2011. Trials of LTE are currently underway in Dallas and Baltimore as the company continues to expand HPSA+ 3G availability across the nation. The implementation of LTE could coincide with Apple's iPhone 5 launch next year.

Foxconn is set to break ground on a new iPhone manufacturing facility that will ultimately crank out 200,000 iPhones daily and employ almost the same number of workers. The factory is shrouded in secrecy, prompting speculation over Apple's long term plans for the facility.

Demand for the iPhone 4 surpassed expectations and has set records for Apple, with a three-week wait for the device still posted on the Apple Store online. Production problems and shortages have hampered the company's efforts to launch the white iPhone 4 until later this year. Talk of a 500-worker rented production line already in operation by Foxconn has let some to believe the new permanent factory could be tooled for something special.

We've heard all the rumors before, but a critical mass of information is making it evident that the iPhone 4 is destined for Verizon Wireless this coming January. Bloomberg reports from unnamed sources that customers will be able to buy a Verizon-compatible iPhone 4 in six short months.

This follows information from DigiTimes that an order for 10 million CDMA iPhone 4 devices will be fulfilled later this year. CDMA technology is compatible with Verizon's network. News stories about Apple negotiating with Verizon have been floating around for months, if not years.

Apple's iPhone 4 is about to make news on a whole new network. While only 12 percent of global mobile phones support CDMA, Verizon Wireless uses the standard and remains the largest carrier in the US. Some iPhone fans have been clamoring for a Verizon-compatible version for years.

If the latest reports out of Taiwan can be believed, Apple is about to take the CDMA plunge in a big way. Manufacturer Pegatron landed a contract to manufacture the devices, which DigiTimes claims will net the company new revenues starting in August or September. The publication expects the CDMA iPhone 4 will reach 10 million units shipped annually.

The furor over a Verizon Wireless compatible iPhone refuses to calm down. None other than the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported today that a CDMA-capable iPhone is indeed under development by Apple and will see release in the US this year. The Verizon iPhone will be one of two new models introduced during Apple's annual iPhone product line refresh this summer.

Apple (AAPL) and Verizon (VZ) jumped one percent after the news release, while AT&T shares (T) lost almost the same amount. AT&T is currently the exclusive carrier for Apple's iPhone in the US. Speculation and rumors have swirled around a Verizon version of the iPhone for months, if not years now.