Verizon appears to have closed the door on their 3G smartphones plans and instead only wants to focus on next-generation connectivity.  A story in the Wall Street Journal today advises that the carrier expects to only offer 4G LTE devices in 2012. What’s more, Verizon plans to push forward with the expansion of its LTE network and hopes to be in 400 markets by the end of the year. Currently at just over 200 markets, this would virtually mean doubling the footprint.

With roughly about 5% of its customer base using 4G LTE handsets, Verizon is hoping that a stronger lineup will entice (force) people to buy these faster devices. Considering the network is barely a year old it’s understandable that most smartphone users were already locked into a contract by the time the Thunderbolt arrived last January.

Are you a Verizon customer with a 4G handset or tablet?  Did you actively seek out something with LTE connectivity or was it a happy accident that it’s super-fast?

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