Welcome to LTE watch!

Latest news/updates/opinions/resources on 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE)

3rd Generation Partnership Project Long Term Evolution (3GPP LTE) is a next generation cellular wireless standard which is considered as the prominent path to the 4G cellular wireless system. Hope you find some useful information here and any comments are welcome. Thank you. - Hyung

Friday, March 5, 2010

Worldwide Handset Semiconductor Revenue: WCDMA Up, GSM & CDMA Down, LTE Emerges

Source: In-Stat press release
WCDMA handset semiconductor revenue will see a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 10% between 2009 and 2014, exceeding $30 billion by 2014. Overall handset semiconductor revenue will see a more moderate five-year CAGR of 2.1%, as semiconductor revenue for CDMA and GSM handsets declines throughout the forecast period, according to market research firm In-Stat.

Wi-LAN eyes Nortel's LTE patent portfolio

Source: Reuters
Wi-LAN Inc said on Wednesday it was eyeing bankrupt Nortel Networks Corp's fourth-generation wireless technology patents, and had held preliminary talks with bankruptcy trustees.

LTE More Than Higher Speeds, Says Nokia Siemens

Source: PC World
Attention has been focused on the higher speeds that will be offered by next generation LTE (Long-Term Evolution) mobile networks, but improved latency will be equally important to users, according to Nokia Siemens.

MSF Introduces Robustness Testing at LTE IOT event

Source: MultiService Forum press release
At the upcoming LTE IOT interoperability event, MSF will introduce robustness testing. MSF is the first industry forum to include security testing in its program. The MSF LTE IOT event will take place March 15-26.

LTE Chipset Makers Position for Long Term Endeavor

Source: In-Stat press release
LTE is a great and truly evolutionary communications platform and LTE will become the dominant 4G technology. However, deployment of LTE will be gradual and protracted. Nevertheless, chipset manufacturers, such as Broadcom, Infineon and Qualcomm, have established LTE product development plans, according to market research firm In-Stat (http://www.in-stat.com). Further, market entrants, including companies such as Altair Semiconductor, Beceem, BitWave, Comsys, Sequans and Wavesat, are hoping the shift to LTE opens new opportunity.

LTE is the trigger for greater network sharing

Source: FierceWireless
While the concept of network sharing has gained support over the past decade, European mobile operators have approached the opportunity with great caution. The central promise of significant capex and opex savings has proved elusive for many that have attempted to construct sharing partnerships, with the merging of 2G legacy networks now considered too complex and costly to attempt.

Verizon to double number of LTE markets 15 months after launch

Source: FierceWireless
Verizon Wireless will double the number of its LTE markets to between 50 and 60 markets 15 months after in its initial launch, according to the carrier's CTO, Tony Melone. The carrier has repeatedly said it plans to launch 25 to 30 commercial LTE markets in the later part of this year and fill out its 3G footprint (which is currently deployed across 94 percent of Verizon's cell sites) with LTE by the end of 2013.

Multicore Processors Target LTE

Source: Light Reading
The coming generation of Long Term Evolution (LTE) equipment could be the first big telecom showcase for multicore processors, according to the latest Heavy Reading 4G/LTE Insider report.

Icera Demos World's First Dual Mode LTE / HSPA Soft Modem

Source: Icera press release
Icera Inc., the Mobile Broadband semiconductor company, is the first baseband chipset company to demonstrate a dual mode LTE / HSPA modem running on a commercial USB data stick, showing LTE (5MHz) / HSPA handover, during an end-to-end streaming HD video download at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Icera worked closely with Anite and Rohde & Schwarz, who provided test equipment and support for the demos.

3G Americas Publishes White Paper on Key Considerations for Adding LTE to GSM-UMTS Networks

Source: 3G Americas press release
3G Americas, a wireless industry trade association representing the GSM family of technologies including LTE, today announced that it has published an informational white paper titled, GSM-UMTS Network Migration to LTE: LTE and 2G-3G Interworking Functions, that examines key steps for introducing LTE technology into existing GSM-UMTS networks.

The report can be downloaded from here. - Hyung

MetroPCS to tap the potential of prepaid 4G

Source: Connected Planet

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

RAYSPAN® Announces Breakthrough Antenna Solution for LTE Devices

Source: RAYSPAN press release
RAYSPAN® Corporation, the world's only provider of metamaterial and advanced RF air interface solutions for wireless communications, today announced the availability of RAYSPAN® MTM-E™ solutions for long-term evolution (LTE). MTM-E™ is the only antenna solution that can support six or more bands operating from 698 MHz to 960 MHz in the low band and 1710-2170 MHz as well as 2.6 GHz in the high band without requiring any switching elements or matching circuits. MTM-E™ is the smallest LTE antenna platform available, meeting the requirements for portable LTE devices such as mobile phones, laptops, USB dongles, wireless routers and wireless modems. The RAYSPAN® MTM-E™ solution is the only antenna technology that offers integrated LTE, 3G, Bluetooth and GPS all from a single-feed antenna solution.

MWC: LTE fairly low key, but trials mount up

Source: Rethink Wireless

Friday, February 19, 2010

LTE Devices to Come in All Shapes and Sizes

Source: PC World
The continued progress of LTE (Long-Term Evolution) was one of the biggest trends at Mobile World Congress this week. Besides modems, vendors showed netbooks and portable Wi-Fi hotspots that are compatible with LTE.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Verizon: We're ready for IMS-based voice on LTE

Source: FierceWireless
Verizon Wireless Executive Vice President of Network Planning Bill Stone said the carrier has installed IP Multimedia Subsystem technology and is currently testing it on its 3G network. Specifically, Stone said Verizon "will deploy IMS VoIP as soon as we can after the introduction of LTE smartphones," though he declined to provide a timeframe.