US operator Verizon Wireless is again talking up its high-profile launch of LTE expected later this year, stating in a press release today that network field trials in Boston and Seattle have demonstrated “peak download speeds of 40 to 50 megabits per second (Mbps) and peak upload speeds of 20 to 25 Mbps.” Verizon claims these rates are “significantly faster than Verizon Wireless and other wireless providers’ current or promised 3G network speeds.”

The largest mobile operator in the US has been testing LTE networks in both cities since August last year and has carried out data calls involving streaming video, file uploads and downloads, and Web browsing, as well as calls with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to enable voice transmissions over the LTE network. In today’s statement, Verizon reiterated previous comments that the network offers “average data rates of 5-12 Mbps on the downlink and 2-5 Mbps on the uplink in real-world environments,” a performance it claims is similar to that of a fixed Internet experience. Verizon will likely be the first operator to deliver commercial LTE services in the US (although Europe’s TeliaSonera is already the world’s first LTE operator), aiming to serve up to 100 million Americans in 25 to 30 markets by the end of this year using its nationwide swath of 700 MHz spectrum. By the end of 2013 its entire 3G footprint is expected to be covered by next-generation LTE technology.