Seven years after it began pursuing a city broadband network, Seattle's trying again. Sort of.

Mayor Mike McGinn and other dignitaries will announce a new, smaller effort Monday morning in South Lake Union. The plan is to offer city infrastructure to lure phone or cable companies willing to build ultrafast broadband in one or two neighborhoods.

More and faster broadband is better, but I'm not sure this is going to result in much change. It's unlikely to help many homes or businesses truly suffering from a lack of fast service, especially since the targeted neighborhoods already have pretty good broadband.

Helping a small pocket of the city may be more realistic than pursuing top-notch broadband across the city, but it pushes the true goal farther back.

As it did in 2006 and 2007, the city's offering access to 500 miles of fiber-optic lines the public spent at least $50 million to install.

This time around, the city's hooked up with the University of Washington and an alliance of universities across the country that's trying to get companies to provide faster service to research schools and their surrounding communities.

The alliance, called Gig U, wants to foster new research and development of applications using ultrafast connections. Success in these areas could prod telecommunications companies to provide more ultrafast broadband. Project proposals from companies are due early next month.

Broadband companies negotiate for city right of way to deliver service in Seattle. But McGinn said the city doesn't have enough leverage over the companies to extract better pricing or service from them.

"This is why it's so important for the city to start looking at different models... to start driving some competition or create the competition ourselves, ultimately."

But the city has started off on this road before and never went anywhere.

A high-profile broadband task force formed in 2004 said the city should pursue a network that would provide affordable, fiber-optic connections to everyone in the city by 2015, with minimum speeds of 20 to 25 megabits per second.

That led to a request for proposals from telecommunications companies willing to partner with the city, and talks with 11 providers. In 2007, Mayor Greg Nickels wanted to pursue a fiber network but the effort fizzled before there were any firm proposals to build anything.

One possibility that was never pursued was to have City Light become a broadband provider, similar to the approach taken by the city of Tacoma and other public utilities.

McGinn said that could be an option someday. But first the city will try to encourage a pilot project, in neighborhoods adjacent to the UW or UW facilities -- meaning South Lake Union or the University District.

I asked McGinn and Bill Schrier, the city's chief technology officer, why this will fare better than the city's earlier, more ambitious broadband plans.

Schrier said there's higher interest, driven by the federal broadband plan issued in 2010 and Google's 2010 offer to wire a few cities with ultrafast, experimental networks.

"There's a much wider awareness for broadband and its value than there was in 2007," Schrier said.

I hate to be critical about this because the need for better and more affordable broadband in America is real. There's not enough competition to bring prices down and there's little incentive for companies to provide faster service outside of dense, prosperous areas. But the project being floated today doesn't address those problems.

Also, Gig U's concerns about universities having ultrafast broadband do not apply to the UW proper. The UW has one of the world's fastest Internet connections. It's part of the Internet2 research consortium that's operating a new 100 gigabit per second network. Seattle is one of 10 cities connected by this network, enabling the UW to do cutting-edge research in computing and sciences.

South Lake Union is also an odd location for Monday's news conference. It may be the last place you'd talk about a broadband crisis.

A mass of fiber runs through the neighborhood, alongside the new Terry Avenue headquarters of Amazon.com.

"There's fiber all over South Lake Union from like eight carriers -- the biggest fiber route in the Northwest goes right down Terry," said John Van Oppen, chief executive of Spectrum Networks.

Spectrum provides 100 megabit-per-second Internet service to dozens of office and apartment buildings in the region, charging people $60 per month for unlimited usage.

Next spring, Spectrum services will be upgraded to 1 gigabit per second, at the same price. That speed is already available at Van Oppen's condo -- in South Lake Union.

Van Oppen said the city's making a good effort to improve broadband offerings, but he doesn't expect there will be a lot of private-sector interest in using its fiber to serve a neighborhood or two.

One reason is that fiber isn't as scarce a resource anymore. The biggest cost to provide ultrafast broadband is in the "last mile" connection, hooking up the individual homes and buildings.

"The cost isn't in anything but that last little bit," Van Oppen said. "The reason it's so expensive isn't because you need to get fiber from one of the data centers, it's because you need to get fiber into the building."

It's nice to support the Gig U effort, which may have better luck advancing broadband nationally than the FCC's federal plan.

But Seattle needs to be sure that in its eagerness to join the movement it doesn't give up fiber-optic capacity that city agencies and schools may need in the future.

The city also needs to be sure the public gets a good return on its infrastructure investment -- and not just intangible benefits.

Still hanging out there is the question of whether we'll ever see a citywide, municipal broadband service. If that's at all possible, the city has to take care it's not giving up fiber capacity the whole city may need someday, just to enhance neighborhoods that are already doing well.

Verizon and its new LTE network walloped other carriers in a new survey of Seattle-area wireless network performance.

The survey (posted below) was done by Bellevue's RootMetrics, which did more than 27,000 call, data and text tests in September to gauge speeds and performance of the different carriers in the area.

It found that Verizon's average download speed was up to 21.5 times faster and its average upload speed was 20 times faster than previous tests in February, which didn't test the latest 4G networks.

Verizon's average download speed of 14.5 megabits per second was faster than the maximum speed Root recorded on any of the other carriers, and its 9.6 Mbps upload speed was eight times faster than T-Mobile, its nearest competitor.

Verizon also topped its ranking of overall performance. Second place went to AT&T, followed by T-Mobile and Sprint.

Root also found that AT&T more than doubled its average download speeds since its previous tests, moving it from third to second place in its speed ranking. T-Mobile also showed faster downloads but they "increased at a less drastic rate, while Sprint's average download speed actually declined."

T-Mobile was the quickest to deliver text messages.

When it came to dropped calls, all four carriers "delivered statistically equal performances" the report found, with drop rates of 0.1 to 1.6 percent.

But data transmission failures were higher in Seattle than in other markets that Root has tested recently. AT&T had the lowest data failure rate - with failures in 6.2 percent of its tests - and Sprint had the highest rate, with failures in 14.2 percent of its tests.

Root did the tests with off-the-shelf Android devices. From the description of the devices and methods:

The HTC myTouch 4G Slide (T-Mobile 4G), the HTC Thunderbolt (Verizon 4G), the Samsung Epic 4G (Sprint 4G), and the Samsung Infuse 4G (AT&T 4G). During the Text test, SMS messages were sent from each phone to an in-market receiver kit holding mobile devices for each of the carriers. The phones used in the receiver kit were the HTC Droid Eris (Verizon), the HTC Evo (Sprint), the Samsung Captivate (AT&T), and the Samsung Vibrant (T-Mobile).

A few graphics from its report:

Verizon Wireless today provided a mid-year update on its infrastructure spending in the region, calling out its investment in its new 4G LTE network.

In Washington state, the company spent $94.4 million on infrastructure upgrades through the first six months of the year. For comparison, it spent $114 million in the region during all of 2010.

"It's clear we're going to outpace 2010 this year," spokesman Scott Charlston said.

In Oregon, spending was $69.7 million in the first half of this year, passing the $60 million spent in all of 2010.

Washington projects this year included the launch of LTE service in Spokane, Tacoma, Everett and Olympia and expansion of the 3G network statewide, the company said in its release.

It said the company has spent more than $1.3 billion improving coverage in Washington since 2000, and more than $65 billion nationwide.

For half of that, it could have bought T-Mobile USA and maybe Clearwire to boot ...

A strong voice joined the chorus saying that Apple will release the iPhone 5 in September. Bloomberg's reporting that the device is coming with a more powerful chip and an 8 megapixel camera, up from the current 5 megapixel version.

Apple's also testing a new iPad with a higher resolution screen like the one used in the current iPhone, the report said.

It cites "two people familiar with the product" and said Apple declined to comment.

But the report comes as a wave of competitive new phones are being released, some for the fast new wireless networks that Apple hasn't yet enabled the iPhone to use.

Firmer reports about the new iPhone create uncertainty among phone buyers considering recently released phones, and cast a shadow over Microsoft's Windows Phone launch and new Nokia hardware coming later this year.

The Bloomberg story said the phone will look similar to the current iPhone. It suggests more common hardware between the iPhone and iPad. The iPhone 5 will use the A5 processor that's used in the iPad 2, while the tablet device is getting a display with resolution similar to the current phone.

The report also said Apple's working on a smaller, lower-priced iPhone aimed at overseas markets.

Verizon Wireless today announced a big expansion of its 4G LTE service in the Puget Sound region, where the ultrafast wireless broadband was tested and debuted in Seattle in December.

Now the company has broadened the coverage beyond the greater Seattle area. Startng July 21, it will be available in Olympia, Tacoma and Everett.

In the north end, the service area includes Arlingon, Lake Stevens, Marysville, Smokey Point and Snohomish. In the south end, coverage areas include Lacey, Tumwater, Yelm, Lakewood, University Place, Steilacoom, DuPont, Parkland, Puyallup, Sumner, Algona and Pacific.

The company also announced LTE service in the greater Portland area will begin July 21.

Verizon says LTE service offers 5 to 12 megabits per second when downloading and 2 to 5 Mbps uploads.

To use the network, you need either an LTE hotspot device, USB modem or one of Verizon's LTE phones. The company offers three: the LG Revolution, Samsung Droid Charge and HTC ThunderBolt. They cost $250 to $300 plus data plans and activation fees.

Verizon's also starting to offer several Web tablets that take advantage of LTE, including the new 10.1" Samsung Galaxy Tab and an updated version of the Motorola Xoom.

LTE is dazzingly fast when you've got a good signal, but the network is still being built up and the phones available so far don't have great battery life.

AT&T is also building up an LTE network and Sprint is reportedly working with a startup to add LTE to its wireless mix.

Verizon says its LTE network is up to 10 times faster than its current 3G network. The company expects to have 4G coverage everywhere it has 3G service by the end of 2013.

T-Mobile USA is dropping its unlimited 3G/4G data service, replacing it with a tiered pricing system.

The company simultaneously announced new plans that it's saying are unlimited with no overage fees. That sounds compelling, but it's a little misleading.

Customers will pay for a finite, limited amount of data transferred at regular speed on its 3G/4G network. After that monthly allocation is used up, the data transfers are throttled down to a slow speed -- 2G -- for the rest of the month.

A spokeswoman said it's not really a change: "The previous $30 unlimited plan reduced speeds if the customer reached 5 GB of data in a billing month so the plan is technically the same, just a new name."

T-Mobile is offering these "unlimited" plans with monthly allocations of 200 megabytes, 2 gigabytes, 5 GB or 10 GB at 4G speeds.

The new rate plans "put us in an excellent position to capitalize on the 80 percent of wireless customers in America who want smartphones," Cole Brodman, chief marketing officer, said in a release. "We're providing customers with the 4G coverage they need, an exciting portfolio of 4G smartphones, and the value and flexibility to meet the diverse desires of their entire family."

Meanwhile, Verizon Wireless today announced that it's launching 4G LTE service in Spokane on June 16.

Since it began offering LTE service in December, Verizon has extended it to 55 areas -- including Seattle -- and plans to have LTE available throughout its current, 3G service area by the end of 2013.

Verizon charges $20 to $80 per month for LTE data plans that range from 1 to 10 gigabytes per month. After the limit is exceeded, it charges $10 to $20 per gigabyte, depending on the plan.

We've known since February that Verizon's first Windows Phone would likely be the HTC Trophy, a 1 gigahertz slab with a 3.8-inch touchscreen.

Today, the company's made it official and said the device will go on sale online May 26 and in stores June 2 for $150, after a $50 mail-in rebate and with a new two-year contract. Buyers will need a Verizon Wireless voice plan, starting at $40 per month, and a data plan starting at $30 per month.

This is despite Verizon brass pooh-poohing Microsoft's new phone platform, saying it's not as important as Apple, Android and RIM.

Microsoft, Verizon and HTC are putting more emphasis on the device's connections to Xbox Live. Buyers before July 15 get a free Xbox 360 game -- either "Halo Reach," "Kinect Sports" or "Lode Runner."

Specs include:

-- 1 GHz Snapdragon processor
-- WVGA 3.8-inch touchscreen
-- Surround sound through SRS WOW HD
-- 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash
-- 720p HD video capture
-- 16 GB on-board storage
-- Wi-Fi connectivity: 802.11 b/g/n

The iPhone has a tough new competitor on the shelves at Verizon Wireless stores.

Starting Thursday, Verizon will sell the first phone to use its new 4G LTE network -- old school 4G, from the days when 4G meant either WiMax or LTE.

Called the ThunderBolt, it's a 4.3-inch slab made by HTC, running Android 2.2 on a 1 gigahertz Snapdragon processor.

Verizon said customers should expect download speeds of 5 to 12 megabits per second and uploads of 2 to 5 Mbps where there's LTE coverage.

Verizon launched its LTE network in December, but so far it's been available only for use with modems, such as the LTE USB stick that gave me stunning 16 Mbps downloads in Seattle when the network was wide open.

The ThunderBolt also works as a mobile hotspot that shares its 4G connection with up to eight devices.

It has an 8 megapixel camera that takes 720p video, a front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera for video chats and 40 gigabytes of memory -- 8 GB of onboard memory, plus a 32 GB memory card.

Preloaded apps include EA's "Rock Band" and Gameloft's "Let's Golf! 2."

It's not cheap, though. Verizon is selling it for $249.99 with a new, two-year contract. Unlimited LTE data plans start at $29.99 a month.

Verizon customers can call Japan for free through April 10 through a program intended to help people contact friends and relatives in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami.

Verizon wireless customers with monthly plans can make free calls to Japan and send text and multimedia messages from the U.S. to Japan for free until April 10.

Verizon prepaid phone card charges for calls between the U.S. and Japan will be waived from March 11 to April 10.

FiOS TV customers will also get free access to TV Japan - at FiOS channel 1770 - through March 17, matching the offer made by Comcast.

Verizon also set up a mobile-giving program, for people who want to donate to Japan charities by sending a text message. If you send a message to the following numbers, you'll be billed $10, which will be donated to the organization listed. Verizon said all $10 will be donated to the charities.

Verizon's list:

- ADRA Relief: text SUPPORT to 85944
- American Red Cross Relief: text REDCROSS to 90999
- Convoy of Hope: text TSUNAMI or SUNAMI to 50555
- GlobalGiving: text JAPAN to 50555
- International Medical Corps: text MED to 80888
- Mercy Corps: text MERCY to 25383
- Salvation Army: text JAPAN to 80888
- Save the Children Federation, Inc.: text JAPAN or TSUNAMI to 20222
- World Relief Corp. of National Association of Evangelicals: text WAVE to 50555
- World Vision, Inc.: text 4JAPAN or 4TSUNAMI to 20222

Frontier Communications today dramatically raised the cost of hooking up to its FiOS TV service for new customers -- from $79 to $500.

The company also notified regulators in four Oregon cities that it's opting out of franchise agreements there, clearing the way to stop offering Frontier TV services in those cities.

Combined with plans for a big FiOS TV rate hike that surfaced in January -- but which hasn't taken effect yet -- Frontier seems to be on a path to phasing out its FiOS TV service altogether.

But spokesman Steve Crosby denied that's happening, and said the company's still evaluating its options.

"I wouldn't jump to that conclusion yet," he said, adding that "we are stil analyzing the business and figuring out what our cost structure is and the best way to treat our customers."

Frontier is using the "opt out" period of the Oregon franchises "because we have to continue to analyze the business" before committing to another 12 years of service under those agreements. The company has "no current plans" to opt-out of franchise agreements in cities other than Dundee, McMinnville, Newberg and Wilsonville, Ore.

The Connecticut-based company took over Verizon's wired phone, broadband and TV service in the West last year. Locally its service area includes parts of the Eastside of King County and parts of Snohomish County.

New hookup fees and the franchise changes affect only the TV service provided directly by Frontier. The hookup fees are for new customers, and are spread out over the first three months of service.

In January, when it disclosed plans to raise FiOS TV monthly rates by about 50 percent, the company suggested customers could switch to DirecTV and offered them free DirecTV service through 2011.

Crosby said the rates were disclosed prematurely but are still in the works.

"I imagine these rate increses will take effect at some point," he said.

The results of our poll of Seattle-area iPhone users are pretty interesting.

Despite all the fretting about AT&T service that you read about, the majority of iPhone users responding to the poll believe the network's fine or even great.

The poll, which ran in my blog for the past 24 hours, received 1,837 responses before I shut it down a few minutes ago. The results were pretty mixed, which isn't surprising given the variation in cell service that people experience in different locations.

Asked if they're happy with their iPhone on AT&T's network in the Seattle area, 53 percent said yes and 5 percent said they don't care too much about the network. Another 44.8 percent said the network is not great or awful.

That satisfication tracks to the percentage of iPhone users wanting to switch to a Verizon model.

Asked if they'll buy a new Verizon iPhone to get better service, 58 pecent said no or probably not. About 4 percent said they don't care.

Among those leaning toward a Verizon iPhone, 15.5 percent said they're absolutely making the switch, right away; 23 percent said maybe.

Next we'll have to see how the Verizon iPhone buyers feel about their new service, and whether they're affected by Verizon's plans to limit data usage and degrade iPhone photos and videos if needed to maintain service levels.

Thank you to those who participated in the survey.

Today's column is an extended take on Google's CR-48 preview of its Chrome operating system:

It was thrilling to fire up Google's ultra groovy CR-48 laptop running the company's new Chrome operating system.

The Applesque machine was like an early Christmas present from Silicon Valley Santa. Inside the eco-friendly cardboard package was technology that promised to finally topple Microsoft's 30-year dominance of the PC business.

Who could wait to see what kind of new computer the hottest software company in the world can create with its $3 billion-a-year research budget?

But after spending a few days with the CR-48, I don't think Microsoft has much to worry about yet. If anything, Chrome is more likely to challenge Apple's iOS software used in the iPad.

Chrome OS is elegantly designed with clever features that make it simple to run. But the software is crippled by Google's ambitious business objectives and quixotic pursuit of "online only" computing.
It's not really a personal-computer operating system, like Windows or Apple's OS X. It's more of an embedded system - like the software inside a cable box or phone - that's locked into place, mostly out of reach to users and managed remotely by Google.

What the user sees is just a browser - a version of Google's Chrome browser - with enough software under the hood to make the computer work. As a result the software is fast to start but limited. The user hardly has any control or choice over how to use and manage the computer on which it's running.

Chrome is designed to be always connected to the Web, through Wi-Fi or Verizon 3G Wireless service.

The CR-48 that Google's distributing to developers, testers and the media is a gorgeous laptop but, unfortunately, it's not for sale. It's only a test bed for demonstrating, testing and marketing the Chrome OS, which is to start appearing on computers sold by Acer, Samsung and others next year.

I'm expecting to see a bunch of different Chrome systems shown in January at the Consumer Electronics Show aimed for stores later in 2011. There will probably be a mix of laptops, tablets similar to the iPad and maybe even "all-in-one" systems with a monitor and processor in the same unit.

They'll probably cost about the same or less than low-end Windows PCs.

They should be cheaper, since the systems require you to use Google's ad-supported services. Buyers probably will also end up buying Verizon Wireless service.

Google and Verizon are offering 100 megabytes of free data transmission per month for two years to Chrome users. After that you'll have to pay either $10 per day for unlimited service or sign up for monthly plans that start at $20 for 1 gigabyte of data. (Verizon provides information on how much data various tasks will use; an excerpt below)

The 100 megabytes lasted less than a day. It wasn't enough to watch a single episode of "The Office" on Hulu.com, stuttering and buffering on the 3G service at my house. Partway through, the system showed an error message, blaming the website. It said the site "may be temporarily down or it may have moved permanently to a new Web address." Hulu was still up; the problem was that I needed to start paying Verizon or get on a Wi-Fi network.

Google is taking another stab at the "network computer" that Oracle, Sun Microsystems and others proposed in the 1990s.

The concept is to offer cheap and simple computers that connect to a network where the heavy-duty computing is handled and centrally managed. The PC becomes a simple terminal.

This approach minimizes the importance of the PC and puts the emphasis on the data center.

You've probably used a similar system at libraries, which provide terminals to search and browse the catalog.

Having a browser-only computer is fine for a lot of things we do with computers. You can write and save documents at sites like Google Docs or Office Web Apps, if they're designed to work with Chrome. I was able to edit an Office document with the CR-48 but couldn't stream anything from Netflix, which uses software that's not supported by Chrome.

Last week's "launch" of Chrome was really aimed at Web developers. Google wants them to write special versions of their Web pages for Chrome. Those pages are characterized as applications and distributed through a polished Chrome app store offering free and paid apps. When you "install" one of these pages, they are bookmarked on your Chrome start page, with phonelike icons that you click to open the pages.

But this approach really works only if you're constantly connected to the Web. It also shifts control of the system from the user to the system manager and site operators.

Some people will be uncomfortable using computers that basically require you to log in to Google and store files on its servers.

For all of Google's talk about open software and net neutrality, Chrome OS is pushing computing back toward a model where you've got to sign in and use a big, nosy company's mainframe.

It's also unclear whether Google is willing to invest the massive effort it takes to build and support a true PC operating system. For instance, one of the hardest things about building an OS is making sure it works with different devices people use with their computers.

I connected the CR-48 to a three-year-old printer in my house and was presented with a "white screen of death" - a blank box that froze the browser. I should have read the online help pages first; Chrome OS doesn't have any printer drivers whatsoever.

To print something, you've got to send the file to a Google server, which in turn will send the file to a Windows PC (not a Mac) that's connected to a printer. But first you've got to sync your Windows PC with Google's online print service and be sure that it's logged in to your Google account.

Google may think this is a clever way to piggyback on the work Microsoft's done to support all the different printers people use, at least until all printers connect to the Web. Chrome OS users are going to think it's a royal pain and the software just doesn't work right.

More competition in the operating-system business is good and Chrome is an intriguing entry. But it has a long way to go before it's a contender for your next PC.

Note: For a different perspective, here is a post by Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt about the CR-48 launch and Chrome OS, relating his work on an early Sun network computer and "going back to old ideas."

With no congestion yet on Verizon's LTE network in Seattle, speeds are pretty impressive.

Here's a speed test I just ran on my laptop of 4G LTE reception at the Seattle Times building on the north edge of downtown.

With three of four bars showing it was getting 12 Mbps; when I moved the modem around to get four bars it began showing 15 to 16 Mbps.

Interestingly, the tests are sometimes showing uploads faster than downloads, with uploads of up to 15 Mbps.

This is with an LG VL600 USB modem loaned by Verizon on a Windows 7 laptop.

After all the anticipation about Verizon's LTE network, consumers may balk at the price.

The ultrafast mobile network will cost $50 per month to transmit up to 5 gigabytes of data and $80 per month for 10 gigs. If users go over, they'll pay $10 per gigabyte.

LTE phones won't be available until mid 2011 and no current phones will be able to use the faster network. For now Verizon's service will only work with two laptop USB modems tha will cost $100, after a $50 rebate and with a two-year contract.

Verizon announced the details at a press conference in New York this morning. It's launching the service on Dec. 5 in 38 U.S. markets (shown on this map) and 60 airports, but pledged to have nationwide LTE coverage matching its current 3G network in 2013.

Seattle - where Verizon has been testing the service - is among the first markets served, as is Sea-Tac airport.

The company had said it would launch the faster network by the end of the year. AT&T is launching its 4G network in mid 2011, and T-Mobile and Clearwire - the first carrier to offer true 4G service - are testing the same technology.

Pricing and coverage are the key questions for people interested in 4G data plans. At this point Clearwire's 4G service seems to have the edge, with 68 markets covered and unlimited data plans ranging from $25 to $55.

Upgrading to Verizon's 4G service may make the most sense for Verizon's existing mobile broadband customers. Those connecting tablets, mobile hotspots and laptops are already paying $50 per month for 5 gigs and $80 for 10 gigs over its 3G network. Going to a 4G plan will give them the same service, plus 4G speeds where available.

The LTE USB modem service is actually cheaper than Verizon's 3G USB modem plans, which cost $60 for 5 gigs, and the same price as its prepaid mobile broadband plans. Here's Verizon's mobile broadband plan chart if you want to sort it out yourself.

Verizon's LTE launch could help clarify what's really 4G, a term that's been muddled by phone companies striving to present their products as the latest and greatest. LTE and Clearwire's WiMax network are technically "fourth generation" wireless networks, thus the 4G designation.

T-Mobile has boosted the speed of its 3G network to achieve comparable speeds and recently began describing its network as 4G. Apple added to the confusion by calling its latest iPhone "4"; it's the fourth-generation iPhone, but doesn't have 4G wireless technology.

LTE can theoretically handle dazzling speeds - up to 100 megabits per second - but Verizon today said its subscribers should initially expect real-world download speeds of 5 to 12 megabits per second and uploads of 2 to 5 Mbps. It characterized the speeds at 10 times that of its current 3G network.

Clearwire's Wimax network - which provides the 4G service sold by Sprint and Comcast - offers downloads that average 3 to 6 Mbps with bursts over 10 Mbps.

AT&T sniped at the Verizon announcement in a blog post by its chief technology officer, John Donovan, saying that LTE is going to evolve slowly. In the meantime consumers will be more affected by the performance of 3G networks, where AT&T has been investing to boost performance.

"It's not sufficiently appreciated that LTE stands for Long Term Evolution. It will take a long time for LTE to be deployed broadly," Donovan wrote.

Expect to hear more details of LTE phones in early January, when Verizon's boss is a keynote speaker at the Consumer Electronics Show. If the company's going to carry a true 4G iPhone sometime in 2011, that's an opportunity to make the announcement.

The two LTE modems now available are also compatible with 3G networks, which they'll use when out of 4G service areas.

Here's the list of the 38 metro areas receiving at least some LTE coverage to start. (Click here for an LTE map and Web application with more precise coverage information; street-level coverage maps are coming Dec. 5):

Akron, Ohio
Athens, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Baltimore, Maryland
Boston, Massachusetts
Charlotte, North Carolina
Chicago, Illinois
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex, Dallas, Texas
Denver, Colorado
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Houston, Texas
Jacksonville, Florida
Las Vegas, Nevada
Los Angeles, California
Miami, Florida
Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Minnesota
Nashville, Tennessee
New Orleans, Louisiana
New York, New York
Oakland, California
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Orlando, Florida
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Phoenix, Arizona
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Rochester, New York
San Antonio, Texas
San Diego, California
San Francisco, California
San Jose, California
Seattle/Tacoma, Washington
St. Louis, Missouri
Tampa, Florida
Washington, D.C.
West Lafayette, Indiana
West Palm Beach, Florida