Verizon plans to start releasing GSM only (no CDMA) devices starting end of 2014

[dpham00]

Hopefully this will mean that we can bring our own gsm devices


http://www.twice.com/articletype/ne...allment-plans-prepaid-network-capacity/107712

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[Aquila]

To me this should be their #1 priority. If this fails, nothing else matters. Great data speeds or not, eventually T-Mobile and AT&T will catch up in coverage and Verizon cannot compete in a word where their core strength is shared by their competitors.

 

[gollum18]

Good they needed to make thus change. Gsm is far higher quality then CDMA. Hopefully this means they will actually be able to start offering more devices like the nexus or xperia line.

Now if only sprint would do this.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[Scott Kenyon]

I didn't see anything in there about gsm. Maybe I missed it, but the last paragraph only mentioned no CDMA. This would probable be a handset which supports LTE only.

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[trwrt]

The article says they are going to release LTE-only phones. There's nothing in there about GSM.

 

[Aquila]

The article says they are going to release LTE-only phones. There's nothing in there about GSM.

LTE is a GSM technology. GSM devices that are LTE enabled can use it and LTE Only devices will technically be GSM devices but using VoLTE for calls instead.

 

[trwrt]

LTE is a GSM technology. GSM devices that are LTE enabled can use it and LTE Only devices will technically be GSM devices but using VoLTE for calls instead.

By that argument Verizon already supports GSM phones, because LTE-enabled CDMA phones can use LTE. The point is you won't be able to buy any old unlocked phone and stick your SIM into it. It will need to be LTE and support VoLTE which means that no existing phones will work.

 

[Aquila]

By that argument Verizon already supports GSM phones, because LTE-enabled CDMA phones can use LTE. The point is you won't be able to buy any old unlocked phone and stick your SIM into it. It will need to be LTE and support VoLTE which means that no existing phones will work.

Correct. I'm not sure if GSM LTE devices would in theory work on Verizon or not, I know they're not configured for the same bandwidth but it's possible. They just wouldn't work for calling, texting or 3G, edge, etc. data. Any phone from today may or may not be able to access data on the LTE network if it's configured to the correct bandwidth (that issue isn't going away quickly), that much is somewhat undetermined. Current devices will for sure not be able to make calls on that network, however the chips we're seeing that have many bands of LTE enabled will be more useful at that point.

 

[dpham00]

Correct. I'm not sure if GSM LTE devices would in theory work on Verizon or not, I know they're not configured for the same bandwidth but it's possible. They just wouldn't work for calling, texting or 3G, edge, etc. data. Any phone from today may or may not be able to access data on the LTE network if it's configured to the correct bandwidth (that issue isn't going away quickly), that much is somewhat undetermined. Current devices will for sure not be able to make calls on that network, however the chips we're seeing that have many bands of LTE enabled will be more useful at that point.

It is a gsm requirement, they have to accept all devices that are gsm that operate on their band. This is the same reason why you can put an unlimited data phone sim into a tablet or hotspot and have unlimited data on the tablet or hotspot.

Now, Verizon can make deals with the manufacturer so that they don't make any device that operates on Verizon's band.

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note II

 

[dpham00]

By that argument Verizon already supports GSM phones, because LTE-enabled CDMA phones can use LTE. The point is you won't be able to buy any old unlocked phone and stick your SIM into it. It will need to be LTE and support VoLTE which means that no existing phones will work.

Correct, at the beginning, it will be tough to find alternatives, but as other carriers start implementing volte, I hope that Verizon users will get more phone choices.

In a few years, att will turn off its 2g network altogether, so some old phones may become useless at that time as well.

Verizon has said that CDMA would remain at least until sometime in the next decade.


Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note II