Verizon Wireless has announced that it will launch it first fourth generation Long Term Evolution (LTE) based wireless handset in mid 2011. The company plans to roll out its new LTE network by the end of December of 2010.

The company also said that by the end of 2010, its LTE service network will have covered approximately 30 markets in the US. The Chief Technology Officer of the company clarified, in a news report to the Wall Street Journal that the first lot of these LTE phones will have two radio chipsets to make it possible that they work for both the LTE and the CDMA networks.

The idea behind launching these dual-mode handsets is ensure that apart from taking advantage of 4G technology, these handsets can be used for a 3G network if a 4G service is not available.

But even before the launch of LTE phones in the US, the LTE data cards that are used with notebooks and laptops will be launched. This kind of a practice is common among telcos and technology companies. For instance, Clearwire and Sprint Nextel launched WiMax data cards. Sprint Nextel is working on launching a WiMax phone. As per market reports, this WiMax handset may be launched by the mid of 2010.