Deployment of next-generation Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology in the US gained momentum this week, with the country’s two largest operators reportedly strengthening their plans. Unstrung notes that Verizon Wireless’ CTO Tony Melone admits it is in the operator’s “best interest to blanket the country with LTE as soon as possible.” The operator is already expected to be the world’s first to deploy LTE, having chosen its base station suppliers Alcatel-Lucent and Ericsson amid plans to commercially launch the technology next year. Nationwide deployment will follow in 2011 and 2012. Interestingly, Unstrung reports that Verizon is unlikely to shut down its CDMA-based voice services in the next ten years. Unstrung cites Melone as stating that Verizon’s 2.5G CDMA 1xRTT network is “very stable” for voice services. “In 2018 or 2020, we’re likely to still have a 1x network.” Verizon does expect to migrate data users from its 3G EV-DO network to LTE in a much shorter timeframe.

Meanwhile, rival operator AT&T is prepping launch of its own LTE trials and may have shortlisted Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson and Huawei as network suppliers, according to a report from UBS Equity Research. The report notes that the operator could end up selecting two of the three vendors for eventual commercial deployment. Industry observers have been quick to note that any such deal would be a huge win for China’s Huawei, and have also highlighted the omission of Nokia Siemens Networks and Nortel Networks from the rumoured shortlist. AT&T has not confirmed the accuracy of the report. AT&T is expected to begin its move to LTE technology in 2011, but is currently focused on increasing speeds on its HSPA network via a planned future deployment of HSPA+ technology.