Verizon Wireless will use DukeNet’s high-speed cell backhaul service to build what the companies are calling the first 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network in the U.S. According to the companies, DukeNet’s cell backhaul service provides scalable, reliable bandwidth between cell sites and mobile switching centers in the southeast.

The backhaul service supports Ethernet data transmissions, which is a key requirement for the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE rollout. It also provides a platform that Verizon Wireless can use to ramp up its network capacity as needed to support increasing demand for its mobile services and applications.

Verizon Wireless says that it is on track to deliver the nation’s first 4G LTE network to customers in 25 to 30 markets, covering about 100 million people by the end of 2010 with full nationwide coverage by 2013. Trials in Boston and Seattle have indicated the network is capable of peak download speeds of 40 to 50 Mbits/s, peak upload speeds of 20 to 25 Mbits/s, and average data rates of 5 to 12 Mbits/s on the downlink and 2 to 5 Mbits/s uplink in real-world environments.

DukeNet

Verizon Wireless