Verizon Plans Radical Shift to Global Network Standard

Verizon, the No. 2 mobile phone carrier in the U.S., announced Thursday that it and joint owner Vodafone plan to develop and deploy technology based upon Long Term Evolution as its fourth generation mobile broadband network. The shift away from its current standard, CDMA, would essentially open the mobile carrier’s networks, making it more compatible with standards used in Europe and elsewhere in the world. Verizon and Vodafone will launch a coordinated trial for the LTE network beginning in 2008.