Motorola today announced it has completed the industry’s first over-the-air Long-Term Evolution (LTE) data sessions in the 700MHz spectrum using its LTE platform with a prototype LTE device. Motorola says it will bring its LTE solutions to market in 2009.
“This field test shows the progress we’ve made in preparing to deliver a commercial LTE solution for testing and early limited deployments in 2009,” said Darren McQueen, vice president, Wireless Broadband Access Technologies, Motorola Home & Networks Mobility. “We are testing our 700MHz and 2.6GHz products, which are expected for first commercial release next year, in real-world environments to ensure our products will meet the needs of mobile carriers who want to be first to market with LTE.”
The demonstrations included mobile video streaming and various high data rate applications as well as execution of applications priority which guarantees throughput using quality of service (QoS) aspects of the LTE standards.
The lower frequency bands provide better coverage and in-building penetration. In North America, the 700MHz spectrum auctioned earlier this year is part of the worldwide “digital dividend” – spectrum in the 470-862MHz bands that has been freed by the switch from analog to digital TV. The digital dividend is viewed by mobile operators in the U.S., Europe, and much of the rest of the world as a valuable resource as existing and new mobile broadband networks, especially in rural areas.
In Europe digital dividend spectrum encompasses the current TV broadcast 790-862MHz bands. It is expected to be auctioned between 2009-2012, coinciding with mobile operators’ plans to deploy LTE.
Motorola’s flexible LTE eNode-B architecture can be tailored to meet each customer’s specific requirements by using frame based-mounted radios and remote radio heads. This design allows many spectrum bands to be supported in the early stage of LTE and accommodates a wide variety of LTE deployment scenarios.
LTE promises to deliver ultra fast broadband with very low latency with lowest cost per bit for data services. Like Mobile WiMAX, however, it will require a forklift upgrade and new handsets.
For more details about Motorola’s LTE solutions please visit: www.motorola.com/lte and www.motorola.com/experiencelte
Dual-mode chips that support both WiMAX and LTE will be available in 2009, according to ABI Research.
“Some mobile operators are showing interest in dual-mode chipsets,” says ABI Research principal analyst Philip Solis, “and they are backing it with cash. Vodafone, for example, has a foot in both WiMAX and LTE camps. They will use LTE in industrialized regions, and WiMAX in developing nations. In Japan, KDDI may deploy LTE on its own, but as an investor (along with Intel and others) in WiMAX operator UQ Communications, KDDI has an interest in both standards.”
These chips are destined for mobile devices, although given that most of the early usage of both LTE and WiMAX will be for data transmission, USB modems, laptops, netbooks, and MIDs are likely to be the first products to include the dual-mode chips, says ABI.
