Wifi Revolution

Verizon (News - Alert) has announced plans to develop and deploy its fourth generation mobile broadband network using Long Term Evolution (LTE), the technology developed within the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards organization.

 

The selection of LTE is expected to provide Verizon and Vodafone (News - Alert)—joint owners of U.S. based Verizon Wireless—with an opportunity to adopt a common access platform with true global scale and compatibility with existing technologies of both companies.

 

Verizon officials informed that Verizon and Vodafone have a coordinated trial plan for LTE that begins in 2008. Trial suppliers include Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, Motorola (News - Alert), Nokia- Siemens, and Nortel.

 

Verizon officials pointed out that Verizon and Vodafone, as well as a broad group of infrastructure suppliers, device suppliers, and technology companies from around the globe—working within the 3GPP—have advanced the standards to enable a technology that will deliver wireless broadband service for high performance mobile computing, multimedia, and consumer electronic devices and applications. The technology has been designed to deliver mobile data networks with higher speed and throughput performance, lower latency, global roaming, and improved efficiencies.

 

The latest LTE announcement builds on Verizon Wireless' technology to launch high-speed wireless broadband service in the United States using CDMA Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) technology.

 

Richard Lynch, executive vice president and chief technology officer at Verizon Communications commented, “While this next generation technology will be exciting to develop and deploy, it comes at a time when we are adding record numbers of customers to our existing CDMA2000 1x and EV-DO networks.”

 

He added, “We relish the challenge of preparing for the time when our customers start demanding such 4G capabilities, while continuing the expansion and operation of our existing technologies for many years to come.” Lynch also pointed out that his company’s move towards a 4G network is driven by its vision of pervasive wireless Internet connectivity and mobility.

 

“Vodafone is delighted to be working alongside Verizon in the development of LTE technology, and we're looking forward to assessing the results of the joint engineering trials. We fully support Verizon's decision to select LTE as their next generation wireless broadband solution,” commented Steve Pusey, global CTO at Vodafone.

 

 

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