Seidenberg: LTE no substitution for wired broadband

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) CEO Ivan Seidenberg told attendees of an investment conference that LTE would not be a replacement for in-home cable and FiOS services but that some customers would choose LTE as their primary broadband connection.

"I think on the margin there will be some substitution," Seidenberg said at the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference. "In time, 4G will be a modest substitute" for cable Internet services, he said.

Verizon turned on its LTE service in 38 markets on Sunday offering two pricing plans: $50 for 5GB of data or $80 for 10GB. Verizon offers two LTE-enabled USB modems but expects LTE smartphones in mid-2011.

Verizon has not yet decided on pricing options for its LTE smartphones, but Seidenberg said the company's higher-end data plan could serve as a template for the offerings. Seidenberg said it is important that Verizon "get some experience and learn" about what works best for LTE data pricing before making any changes.

For more:
- read this FierceWireless article
- see this Wireless Week article

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