ZyXEL to Launch LTE Routers at Mobile World Congress

More phone manufacturers are making LTE (News - Alert)-capable phones, but mobile networks have been slow to catch up. ZyXEL is trying to change that with its LTE3301 and LTE3311 indoor routers.

These routers will let service providers deploy better coverage in public places like sports arenas and shopping centers.

“Major service providers have already deployed LTE networks and second and third tier providers are under pressure to follow,” ZyXEL LTE business development manager Tomas Kotis said. “So, with the new LTE series, ZyXEL is happy to be entering a market where a vast number of service providers are looking for an alternative quality supplier. As many of them already know and trust ZyXEL DSL CPEs, we’re looking forward to joining up with them on their LTE projects.”

ZyXEL will formally unveil the routers at the Mobile World Congress (News - Alert) in Barcelona, Spain next month.

The devices work with FDD-LTE, which uses slightly different frequencies for uploading and downloading, reducing the possibility of interference. Versions with just LTE or support for 2G/3G as well as LTE for backward compatibility are available.

The dual-band capability makes sense, as they are still a lot of people who haven’t upgraded to LTE out there yet. The technology is only just starting to make its way into consumer devices. And it’s not just humans. Many M2M devices still rely on 2G connectivity.

These devices will allow more carriers to upgrade to LTE, while still supporting their existing customers.

LTE, like a lot of new technologies, has suffered from a “chicken-and-egg” problem. Customers stick with 2G and 3G because few carriers offer LTE, and LTE operators don’t upgrade because few customers seem to want 4G.

These routers attempt to make it cost-effective for smaller carriers to upgrade to LTE, which could in turn prompt device makers to offer LTE functionality, and wireless customers to demand LTE networks in turn. The prices for LTE-capable devices will continue to drop, so offering LTE functionality makes a lot of sense.

The Mobile World Congress will take place from March 2 to March 5.