SCIENCE

The addition of Purdue in Verizon Wireless' initial national launch speaks to the reputation of the Big Ten campus that is earning accolades across the nation for its innovations in learning and technology, said John Granby, president–Indiana/Kentucky/Michigan Region, Verizon Wireless.

"The decision to launch LTE on Purdue's campus is based on the university's proven track record with using mobile technology to enhance higher learning," Granby said. "The opportunities that our 4G network offers businesses and higher education are limitless. Our partnership with Purdue will explore the next phase of how 4G technology can improve education across our nation."

Verizon Wireless is building its 4G LTE network with the same commitment to performance and reliability for which it has long been recognized. Verizon Wireless' laser focus on reliability is based on rigid engineering standards and a disciplined deployment approach year after year.

Purdue's nearly 40,000 students and 15,000 faculty and staff can immediately benefit from Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE network this year. While Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE network promises much more than speed, the first application gives individuals the ability to work at significantly faster speeds and improved latency, increasing productivity and the opportunity to get work done where their business takes them. 

Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE rollout positions the company to be the global leader in 4G LTE deployment. Verizon Wireless expects 4G LTE average data rates to be 5-12 megabits per second (Mbps) on the downlink and 2-5 Mbps on the uplink in real-world, loaded network environments. These speeds are significantly faster than Verizon Wireless and other wireless providers' current or promised 3G network speeds. 

By leveraging its 700 MHz spectrum for LTE deployment in the United States, Verizon Wireless is capable of quickly deploying a high-quality wireless broadband network with excellent coverage. The company is currently installing LTE equipment at existing cell sites and switching centers around the United States as part of its extensive, ongoing investment in its voice and data network infrastructure.  

With the rollout of Verizon's 4G LTE network by the end of the year, Purdue is creating a fully integrated wireless campus for one of the best learning experiences on a United States campus, said Gerry McCartney, Purdue's chief information officer, vice president for information technology and Olga Oesterle England Professor of Information Technology.

"At Purdue, the advancement of mobile technology is critically important -- both to students and faculty -- and the addition of Verizon's 4G network will contribute in a noticeable way to their success," said McCartney, whose campus is also researching the effect of technology on student success.

Purdue has become a national leader in layering mobile technologies on top of traditional college classroom experiences to improve student engagement and learning. Recent technologies developed at Purdue include the Facebook academic application Mixable and a student discussion tool, HotSeat, which allows students to interact with their classmates and faculty using Twitter and text messages.

"We've built our wireless campus network to create better mobile learning and research experiences," said Scott Ksander, Purdue's executive director of networks and security. "Verizon's fast 4G network, together with the new Cisco wireless network in our buildings, gives us the ability to push out the boundaries of mobile technology."