Verizon Wireless – now the largest US mobile operator following its recent acquisition of Alltel Wireless – used its Q4 results announcement yesterday to stress that its LTE plans remain on track, despite concern over availability of its allotted spectrum for the technology. Silicon Valley Insider reports that Verizon COO Denny Strigl said on the company’s earnings call that he is still hoping LTE will be commercially available in the first half of 2010, with trials to begin later this year. Such a move could potentially make Verizon the first commercial operator of LTE networks in the world. Verizon is expected to launch LTE using 700MHz spectrum freed up via the move from analogue to digital TV in the US. However, the US Senate on Monday voted to approve a four-month delay until 12 June for the digital TV transition, paving the way for the legislation to be passed and causing concern that Verizon’s plans may be put on hold. More details on Verizon’s LTE plans are likely to be unveiled next month when Dick Lynch, executive vice president and CTO of parent company Verizon Communications, gives a keynote presentation at the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Meanwhile, Verizon Wireless reported slowing subscriber growth during the fourth-quarter, adding 1.2 million net new customers, down compared to the 2 million net additions in Q4 2007. The total mobile subscriber base now stands at 72.1 million (excluding Alltel customers). Mobile service revenue was up 12.3 percent year-on-year to US$12.8 billion. The operator recorded its eleventh consecutive quarter of ARPU growth, with total mobile service ARPU of US$51.72, up 1.4 percent year-on-year and largely driven by data services. Mobile data revenues were up 41.4 percent.