Bell to Launch LTE Network Wednesday in Toronto and Southern Ontario

Looks like the race to be ‘first’ in the deployment of LTE networks is heating up. Bell has announced its plans to debut its LTE network tomorrow in Toronto and other cities in southern Ontario, bringing LTE to 2.6 million people in the area.

Bell appears to have beat rival Rogers by a week or so in deploying the Long-Term Evolution in key areas such as Toronto, Hamilton, and Waterloo. Rogers, however, was first to launch LTE networks in Ottawa, and other major urban areas will set to receive LTE deployment soon.

As for pricing, Bell is expected to match Rogers, with rates starting at $45 per month for 1.5GB of data.

What About Telus?

Telus plans to launch LTE in Western Canada early next year, as confirmed by David Fuller, their Chief Marketing Officer. As for a continued partnership on sharing LTE costs with Bell, Fuller confirmed there’s no official agreement in place, but indicated previous benefits would apply now as well.

Is An LTE-Capable iPhone Coming Soon?

Even with LTE networks in place, the choice of hardware remains limited. Earlier reports have stated an LTE-capable iPhone would most likely be delayed until next year, although LTE equipment was spotted in mid-August within an Apple Store, plus evidence of internal iOS carrier builds showed hints of an LTE-capable device being tested.

Are you excited for LTE? Let’s work on perfecting the 3G network first, while we wait for battery technology to keep up with LTE’s insatiable thirst for power. TEST TEST TEST

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