Verizon Wireless has launched HomeFusion Broadband, a new in-home LTE-based broadband service for rural U.S. homes that traditionally have not had reliable access to high-speed Internet, the operator said on Tuesday.
Users of the service should get average real-world data speeds of 5M bps (bits per second) to 12M bps on the downlink and 2M bps to 5 M bps on the uplink, which should rival typical high-speed options like DSL, according to Verizon.
The service comes with three different plans, which cost from US$60 per month and include 10GB of data. The two other plans include 20GB and 30GB of data and cost $90 and $120, respectively.
Overage is billed at $10 for each additional gigabyte, according to the HomeFusion Broadband website.
The data is first sent to and received by an antenna installed in each home, which then sends the signal to a broadband router to which up to four wired and at least 20 wireless devices in the household can connect using Wi-Fi, Verizon said.
Users have to pay $200 for the equipment, but the installation is free.
For Verizon, HomeFusion Broadband is a way to get more mileage out of its growing LTE network.
Last month the operator said it was adding 33 new markets to the network and expanding coverage in 32 markets. Verizon is also on track to meet the goal of covering more than 400 U.S. locations by the end of 2012, it said.