A set of Call of Duty Elite Frequently Asked Questions from Activision is actually the second such document they have issued since announcing the online service for the military shooter sequel (they've so far not followed through on their plan to post it to the game's website). The document justifies the idea of such a premium service, and announces we can expect beta testing this summer in advance of its November launch:

How can I become a member?
· With the roll out of the Call of Duty Elite beta this summer on Call of Duty: Black Ops, players can sign up on www.callofduty.com/elite to queue up for participation. Once the platform officially launches with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 on November 8th, players will be able to enter the service in through a variety of ways, which we will be announcing later this year.