No. 2 U.S. carrier Verizon and Vodafone, the world's largest mobile carrier, on Thursday announced that Verizon Wireless, a company they jointly own, will use an emerging wireless broadband technology known as Long Term Evolution as its wireless broadband standard of choice.

The move by the two major carriers will boost a technology little known outside of telecommunications standards bodies. It could also provide a fresh blow to rival wireless broadband technology WiMAX, and the kill shot for municipal Wi-Fi, which is already stumbling.

Starting in 2008, Verizon Wireless will give LTE a trial run using gear from Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia-Siemens, and Nortel. The project could attract a number of small startups  specializing in so-called fourth-generation wireless technologies.

LTE, which promises high data rates, allows Verizon and Vodafone to adopt a common wireless transmission technology. To date Verizon has followed the CDMA path to third-generation wireless data communications, while its partner Vodafone has followed the GSM path. By adopting LTE as their common future technology, Verizon and Vodafone will at the very least attempt global compatibility.

"Two major carriers with a common platform also gives suppliers a bigger target to shoot for," said Fran O'Brien, director of wireless standards for Alcatel-Lucent.

The higher bandwidth promised by LTE also makes Verizon Wireless' recent commitment to open access to its network more feasible, a Verizon executive said. Earlier this week Verizon Wireless said it would let independent developers attach to its network, in effect opening its network to outsiders.

Verizon was one of the early adopters of CDMA and its high-speed data technology Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO, so Verizon's adoption of LTE is in many ways a surprise departure from CDMA orthodoxy.


LTE has attracted the attention of a number of global operators, Mr. O'Brien said, but Verizon's commitment to the technology lends immense credibility to LTE and could provide the incentive that makes it a mainstream technology.

"I don't know of any operator that has made this firm a commitment to LTE, so Verizon may indeed be the first," Mr. O'Brien said.