LTE holds a lot of promise, but there’s still “no substitute for good old-fashioned engineering.” That’s the message from Verizon Wireless’ Chief Technology Officer Tony Melone, who gave the keynote address at the 2009 PCIA Wireless Infrastructure Show in Nashville, Tenn., yesterday.

“We can build all the bells and whistles and make lots of bold claims, but none of it will matter if the network – and all of the underlying infrastructure that supports the network – isn’t fundamentally reliable,” Melone said.

Verizon currently bills itself as having the country’s largest and most reliable network. According to Melone, the carrier will continue to differentiate itself on the reliability of its network going into 4G. Verizon remains committed to its previously announced LTE roadmap, which entails launching in 25 to 30 markets in 2010 and covering most of its 3G footprint with LTE by the end of 2013.

Melone also stressed the importance of collaboration. The company has certified more than 55 devices, mainly M2M units, to run on its 3G network. Verizon plans to use the same Open Development initiative to certify devices to run on its LTE network.

Verizon also is working with to develop traditional and non-traditional products for its 4G network. The carrier has a large presence in the M2M market thanks to its nPhase joint venture with Qualcomm and is currently working with the consumer electronics industry to develop devices for its 4G network.

In addition, Verizon is courting developers for its V CAST Apps store, which will launch by the end of 2009. The carrier is working with China Mobile, Softbank and Vodafone to create a software platform that will allow apps to run seamlessly across multiple operating systems.