AT&T to launch two 4G data devices ahead of its 4G LTE launch this summer

AT&T will announce a couple of 4G products ahead of its much-awaited 4G LTE network launch this summer. The U.S. cellular service provider has showcased a laptop 4G stick called the USBConnect Momentum 4G and a Wi-Fi hotspot product dubbed the Elevate 4G. AT&T is slated to launch its Long-Term Evolution - LTE network in five U.S. cities by this summer and 15 cities by the end of the year.

AT&T 4G LTE modems

Both USBConnect Momentum 4G and Elevate 4G are designed to run on the company’s LTE network. The first product is meant to connect a laptop with the high-speed network of the carrier. The device sports a MicroSD card slot up to 32GB storage capacity. It is priced at $49.99 with a two-year data agreement with the carrier.

The second device, the Wi-Fi hotspot is priced at $69.99 with a two-year contract. The AT&T Elevate 4G highlights a 1.77-inch LCD display to show the status of the network and security code. With the device, you can connect five Wi-Fi-enabled devices with the AT&T 4G LTE network. It also comes up with a MicroSD slot for a memory card up to 32GB capacity.

AT&T USBConnect

AT&T is struggling hard to compete with Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel in deploying LTE network in the country. Verizon, the largest U.S cellular service provider with the count of customers, launched its 4G network in December 2010. Verizon now avails the high-speed new generation network in 77 cities. The carrier plans to expand the figure to 175 by the end of the year.

Sprint has also paced long ahead with its 4G connectivity variant WiMAX with services in 71 U.S cities. At a whole, AT&T, the second largest carrier behind Verizon, is still trailing back with the new generation network. But AT&T has been providing a high-speed version of 3G network called HSPA+ like T-Mobile U.S.A. since January this year. But LTE is indeed three times faster than HSPA+, AT&T realizes. It is thus the company has sped up activities to convert its network to LTE.

Via: CNet