Verizon to launch LTE on December 5th

US mobile operator Verizon Wireless has announced that it will be activating what it claims is the world’s first “large-scale” LTE network this coming Sunday, December 5^th. The carrier’s data plans start at $50 for a monthly data allowance of 5GB, and Verizon will be offering USB modems from LG at launch and Pantech in the near future.

“Our initial 4G LTE launch gives customers access to the fastest and most advanced mobile network in America and immediately reaches more than one-third of all Americans, right where they live,” said Dan Mead, president and CEO of Verizon Wireless. “We will quickly expand 4G LTE, and by 2013 will reach the existing Verizon Wireless 3G coverage area.”

The company said that it expects average data rates in “real-world, loaded network environments” to be 5 to 12Mbps on the downlink and 2 to 5 Mbps on the uplink. At launch the network will cover 38 major metropolitan areas and more than 60 commercial airports across the US, Verizon said. The network was supplied by Ericsson and Alcatel Lucent.