November 30, 2007 8:45AM  |
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Following news that Verizon will use Long Term Evolution (LTE) for its 4G network, Chris Hazelton, an analyst with IDC, noted that the move leaves Sprint and Alltel as the only major CDMA carriers in the U.S., and pointed out that Verizon’s move to LTE will continue the trend of embedding wireless data access in consumer devices, not just in phones.
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 In its second big announcement this week, Verizon Wireless said that it would develop its fourth generation mobile broadband network using Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology. This means that the company, co-owned by Verizon and by European carrier Vodafone, will move to the GSM camp from its current residence in the CDMA crowd.Earlier this week, Verizon Wireless announced that it was moving toward an open network on which outside devices or software could be used. This declaration of openness followed the company’s initial opposition to a similar open policy for 700-MHz frequencies to be auctioned by the Federal Communications Commission in January. The FCC eventually adopted an open devices policy for the auction.
For users, the future is promising very fast wireless transmission. Verizon’s announcement means that the company will begin testing network equipment as it moves to LTE technologies, which can provide downlink speeds for data as high as 100 Mbps, and uplink speeds as high as 50 Mbps. But the biggest potential impact for device owners in the U.S. will be the ability to use Verizon-supplied devices, without adaptation, in the many countries that support GSM. An estimated 80 percent of the world’s mobile devices use GSM technology, and so do AT&T, T-Mobile, Vodafone, and other European carriers. Chris Hazelton, an analyst with industry research firm IDC, said that this leaves Sprint and Alltel as the only major CDMA carriers in the U.S. Some carriers in South America and South Korea use CDMA. He also said that the move to LTE will continue the trend of embedding wireless data access in consumer devices, not just in phones or mobile business devices. LTE is the “best technology with global scale” to deliver on the promise of “embedded wireless in virtually every piece of electronics you buy in any store,” said Richard Lynch, Verizon Communications’ chief technology officer, in a statement.
But use of LTE will not happen overnight, Hazelton pointed out. He noted that the Verizon announcement relates to developing and testing network technology, which precedes devices. Consumers or business users most likely “won’t feel the impact of this announcement for many years,” he said. The earliest date suggested by other observers is 2009 for products and services that LTE to appear. LTE is a so-called 4G technology, the next level in wireless data. Earlier this month, the GSM Association formally backed LTE as its next step to 4G, which was expected, because many GSM networks were moving toward developing LTE. Another 4G technology is Ultra-Mobile Broadband, which has been backed by Qualcomm, the owner of many CDMA patents. WiMax is a third major technology, but it has had some rough spots with the recent news that Sprint was dissolving its partnership with Clearwire to build a next-generation WiMax network. Although Sprint and Clearwire have indicated they will independently pursue WiMax, the technology’s future viability is being questioned. But Intel, among others, remains a key backer of WiMax for laptops and ultramobile PCs. |
