Verizon will launch high speed wireless LTE network Dec. 5

Get ready Charlotte-area Verizon wireless customers: more speed is coming.

Verizon Wireless announced today it is lighting up its 4G LTE network Sunday and Charlotte is one of the initial 38 markets. The network, the company says, will be up to 10 times faster than the current 3G network and will be available to business users first.

Along with the launch, the company will introduce new 4G LTE mobile broadband data plans. They will start at $50 monthly for 5 GB, and there will be one USB modem available at launch.

To get 10 GB data, it will cost $80. Both plans have a $10/GB overage charge. The modem will be $99.99 after a $50 rebate for a two-year agreement.

Verizon officials said, at launch, the 4G LTE network will touch 1/3 of all Americans and will cover its existing 3G network in its entirety in about two years.

So how fast is this? Verizon said customers should expect download speeds of 5 to 12 megabits per second, as fast or faster as many high-speed cable or DSL modem speeds

Of course, you'll want to know about using cell phones on this new network. Looks like you'll have to wait until the middle of next year, so if your contract is up soon, best choose to wait. And this also makes me wonder if all the iPhone to Verizon in January talk will cool now.

Looks like a safe bet that iPhone 5 will take advantage of this network, which will also allow talking and surfing at the same time (something you can't do on Verizon's current 3G network). That makes me think the regular June iPhone launch date might be safe.

Last point on Verizon 4G. It's also launching in 38 metro areas and 60 airports. Click here to see if you're covered.

Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Initial Major Metropolitan Area Deployment (Dec. 5, 2010)

Akron, Ohio

Athens, Georgia

Atlanta, Georgia

Baltimore, Maryland

Boston, Massachusetts

Charlotte, North Carolina

Chicago, Illinois

Cincinnati, Ohio

Cleveland, Ohio

Columbus, Ohio

Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex, Dallas, Texas

Denver, Colorado

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Houston, Texas

Jacksonville, Florida

Las Vegas, Nevada

Los Angeles, California

Miami, Florida

Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Minnesota

Nashville, Tennessee

New Orleans, Louisiana

New York, New York

Oakland, California

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Orlando, Florida

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Phoenix, Arizona

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Rochester, New York

San Antonio, Texas

San Diego, California

San Francisco, California

San Jose, California

Seattle/Tacoma, Washington

St. Louis, Missouri

Tampa, Florida

Washington, D.C.

West Lafayette, Indiana

West Palm Beach, Florida



Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Initial Commercial Airport Deployment (Airport Name, City, State) Dec. 5, 2010

Austin-Bergstrom International, Austin, Texas

Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshal, Glen Burnie, Maryland

Bob Hope, Burbank, California

Boeing Field/King County International, Seattle, Washington

Charlotte/Douglas International, Charlotte, North Carolina

Chicago Midway International, Chicago, Illinois

Chicago O’Hare International, Chicago, Illinois

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International, Covington, Kentucky

Cleveland-Hopkins International, Cleveland, Ohio

Dallas Love Field, Dallas, Texas

Dallas/Fort Worth International, Fort Worth, Texas

DenverInternational, Denver, Colorado

Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

George Bush Intercontinental/Houston, Houston, Texas

Greater Rochester International, Rochester, New York

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, Atlanta, Georgia

Honolulu International, Honolulu, Hawaii

Jacksonville International, Jacksonville, Florida

John F. Kennedy International, New York, New York

John Wayne Airport-Orange County, Santa Ana, California

Kansas City International, Kansas City, Missouri

La Guardia, New York, New York

Lambert-St. Louis International, St. Louis, Missouri

Laurence G. Hanscom Field, Bedford, Massachusetts

LongBeach/Daugherty Field, Long Beach, California

Los Angeles International, Los Angeles, California

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International, Metairie, Louisiana

McCarran International, Las Vegas, Nevada

Memphis International, Memphis, Tennessee

Metropolitan Oakland International, Oakland, California

Miami International, Miami, Florida

Minneapolis-St.Paul International/Wold-Chamberlain, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Nashville International, Nashville, Tennessee

New Castle, Wilmington, Delaware

Newark Liberty International, Newark, New Jersey

Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International, San Jose, California

North Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada

Orlando International, Orlando, Florida

Orlando Sanford International, Sanford, Florida

Palm Beach International, West Palm Beach, Florida

Philadelphia International, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Phoenix Sky Harbor International, Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix-Mesa Gateway, Mesa, Arizona

Pittsburgh International, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Port Columbus International, Columbus, Ohio

Portland International, Portland, Oregon

Rickenbacker International, Columbus, Ohio

Ronald Reagan Washington National, Arlington, Virginia

Sacramento International, Sacramento, California

Salt Lake City International, Salt Lake City, Utah

San Antonio International, San Antonio, Texas

SanDiego International, San Diego, California

SanFrancisco International, San Francisco, California

Seattle-Tacoma International, Seattle, Washington

St. Augustine, Saint Augustine, Florida

St. Petersburg-Clearwater International, Clearwater, Florida

Tampa International, Tampa, Florida

Teterboro, Teterboro, New Jersey

Trenton Mercer, Trenton, New Jersey

Washington Dulles International, Dulles International Airport, Washington, D.C.

Will Rogers World, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

WilliamP. Hobby, Houston, Texas