Apple is in the driver's seat on this one. If Apple offered it, Verizon wouldn't make the same mistake twice. And Verizon isn't the only carrier that is going LTE.

Who says they can't have a LTE iPhone? Dec-2010, it would make sense. Given Apples release schedule, it would make sense to announce it in January and start selling in June, like they did with the original iPhone.

Doesn't mean they won't get it. Like I said. Apple would be stupid to not open themselves to that market.

fcc/ftc? one of the two might change if they get rid of exclusivity.

verizon likes control, very much, heck they lock the dumbest features out of devices, you think they would allow support everything else to be controlled by a device mfg?

2 things i see, is that, verizon lte plan will allow open phones on their network, this might allow lte iphones to be on verizon if unlocked or by other means.

as a retailer verizon will not be selling the iphone.

I am very pessimistic this will happen

I would be shocked if this FTC BS goes anywhere. This looks like a bogus investigation that gathers a few headlines today and is forgotten tomorrow.

The only way Verizon would get the iPhone is for them to follow suite to TELUS and throw the switch to HSPA.
TELUS is getting the iPhone in October because of this.
If Verizon dosen't do this they will have to wait for the switch to LTE.
Apple is not making a CDMA iPhone.

....and people on aT&T who don't yearn to be free.

And who are tired of AT&T's horrible network

Verizon's wouldn't fair much better under the strain if the iphone was offered.

hmmm, guess I'll chime in.

I think the main concern is AT&T vs Verizon. If verizon gets the iphone, it will be an ALL OUT WAR between the two. AT&T has a lot to lose if Verizon gets the iphone, they'll prob try anyting to keep the iphone on AT&T.

And I think apple might be thinking strongly of their relationship with AT&T. Right now, I think they'll focus expanding into international GSM markets. I also thinking keeping the iphone exclusively on one carrier makes the device seem a lot more "special" in the eyes of the consumer.

I have a feeling we might the the iphone on T-Mobile before we ever see it on Verizon.

Showing up on t-mobile and expanding into new gsm markets are a much easier option for them in any case since its still basically the same device and wouldn't require apple to hire a bunch of cdma developers.

The iPhone is already available in many other countries. US sales account for about half of worldwide iPhone OS sales.