AT&T turns on LTE network in Bay Area

AT&T flipped a switch Thursday to turn on its next-generation LTE network in the Bay Area, bringing the promise of faster data speeds to tens of thousands of smart-phone users. According to AT&T, users of the LTE network should see data speeds that are up to 10 times faster than the current 3G network. LTE reduces the processing time needed to move data through a network, improving the quality of video chats, Web page downloads and other data-intensive applications. The network is also incredibly hard on smart-phone batteries, as reviewers of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus on Verizon's LTE network have attested.