Verizon Wireless Says It's Ready For 3GVerizon Wireless Says It's Ready For 3G

Verizon Wireless said Thursday that it has successfully deployed a third-generation wireless network in the New York metropolitan area that should be ready for use in the fourth quarter of the year.

According to a Verizon spokeswoman, the company has upgraded its network within a 100-square-mile area to support 1XRTT-enhanced CDMA technology, which will "significantly increase capacity" for both voice calls and data services. When activated, it would become the first functional 3G network in the country.

But the system isn't quite ready to use yet. Verizon says it is still testing compatible handsets from manufacturers, including Audiovox, LG Infocomm, Acer, Samsung, and Ericsson, which won't be ready for sale until the fourth quarter.

Customers who use Verizon's mobile Web services will see their access speeds increase 10 times, and the company will sell wireless modems and access for notebook computers, says the spokeswoman. Citing competitive reasons, Verizon has declined to issue further details about the system, including exactly where it has been installed, what it will cost, what services will be available, and when it will expand geographically.

Farpoint group analyst Craig Mathias says the deployment is "certainly a step in the right direction," but hesitates to guess whether Verizon's network is really ready to roll. "Until you can tell me what, where, and how much, it isn't real." He says it will probably be some time before we hit critical mass of people actually using 3G phone services; he forecasts 2002 for voice and 2005 for data services.