April 06, 2009
Telefonica LTE Tests Witness 140 Mbps Data Speed
By Rajani Baburajan, TMCnet Contributing Editor
Telecom operator Telefónica, has reportedly conducted its first tests on a real 4th generation network with long term evolution (LTE (News - Alert)) technology.
The test witnessed downloading of data at speeds in excess of 140 Mbps, around ten times faster than those possible with 3G networks using High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) technology.
Telefónica will start rolling out the first HSPA + services on its 3G network to allow data download transmission speeds of 21 Mbps this summer.
The tests at the LTE network installed at its demonstrations center in Madrid are part of Telefonica’s commitment to become a world leader in mobile broadband technology and innovation and are aimed at planning and defining future technical needs for LTE.
The tests consisted of a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call, and a video call using an LTE mini-network installed by Ericsson (News - Alert); a video conference, and data and images downloads at speeds in excess of 140 Mbps.
As part of this expansion plan, Telefónica will start rolling out its HSPA + technology network this year.
Telefonica recently announced that Level 3 Communications expanded its relationship with Telefonica International Wholesale Services to establish a dedicated wavelength network across North America. As per the agreement, Level 3 will transport voice, data and Internet traffic for over 250 million Telefonica customers from Europe and Latin America.
Rajani Baburajan is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Rajani's articles, please visit her columnist page.
Edited by Stefania Viscusi
