Novatel readies embedded LTE module for Verizon's network

IDG News Service - Novatel Wireless' Expedite E362 4G LTE embedded module has received technical approval to run on the Verizon Wireless LTE (Long Term Evolution) network, the chip maker said Thursday.

The embedded module is the first commercially available product of its kind that has been certified for Verizon's 4G network, according to Novatel.

The company isn't providing details on products that will integrate the module or when they will arrive, but it can be used in tablets, notebooks, netbooks and other portable entertainment devices, it said. Novatel noted that it is working actively with a number of device and notebook manufacturers.

The module, in addition to working with LTE, is also compatible with CDMA, HSPA+ (High-Speed Packet Access) and GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), according to a datasheet on Novatel's website. It measures 51 x 30 x 4.4 millimeters and weighs 11 grams.

Today, subscribers that want to connect to Verizon's LTE network can choose between three USB modems, two portable hotspots, including a Novatel Mifi unit, and two smartphones: HTC's Thunderbolt and the Droid Charge by Samsung, which,after a delay, went on sale on Saturday.

The arrival of Novatel's embedded module will give users more choice when accessing Verizon's network, a spokeswoman at the operator said.

On Thursday, Verizon also said that the LTE network has now been turned on in nine additional metropolitan areas, including Tallahassee, Fla.; Montgomery, Ala.; and New Haven, Conn., and has been expanded in Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, New Orleans and Philadelphia.

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