Initially, there were three front-runners for the fourth-generation wireless broadband crown: 3GPP LTE (Long Term Evolution), mobile WiMax and 3GPP2 UMB (Ultra Mobile Broadband). All three standards offer low latency and theoretical max speeds that should crush existing services, though mobile WiMax and LTE have the most support.

Sprint, of course, is hitching their wagon to Mobile WiMax. Much of Mobile WiMax's success hinges on Sprint's Xohm launch, expected within weeks. Meanwhile, both AT&T and Verizon have stated they'll be migrating to LTE. Given the size and wealth of those two carriers, their decision effectively means LTE is, barring catastrophe, going to dominate the next-gen wireless broadband field in the United States.

Recent tests conducted in Germany by T-Mobile and Nortel Networks achieved downstream LTE data rates of 170Mbps and upstream speeds of 50Mbps in a car moving 67kph (41mph). Granted this was a controlled experiment in close range to three towers, but it does highlight LTE's promise. Ericsson has now also achieved data rates in excess of 100Mbps. Ericsson says they used real (read non-lab) antennas and real distance from them to test the technology in a moving car:Now all you'll have to do is wait. AT&T and Verizon both started tinkering with the technology this year, but serious deployment isn't expected until 2010 or later. AT&T's in no particular rush: they say they already have 7.2Mbps working in their labs, has said they want to transition to HSPA release 7 sometime in 2009, offering 20Mbps in the process. Of course, Cox this morning also threw their support into the LTE ring by announcing they're building their own wireless broadband network.