2012-10-23

ZTE uses laptops to optimize LTE performance

ZTE has launched the first PC-based capacity planning tool for LTE, which will make it easier for operators to optimize the performance of their networks and offer users better performance. The small format makes it a good fit for testing indoor coverage and testing performance where a lot of users are accessing the network, including train stations, sports arenas and shopping malls. Good indoor coverage can be a challenge when LTE is used in combination with higher frequencies, including the 2.6GHz spectrum band. 

read more //itworld.com

EE reveals 4G pricing: UK LTE from £36/mo


EE’s consumer plans are based on a 24-month contract; if you’d rather go for a 12-month contract, it will cost an extra £10 per month. All subscribers get access to BT WiFi hotspots in addition to their mobile data allowance; if you run out of mobile data, you can add on more directly from the phone, priced at 50MB for £3, 500MB for £6, 2GB for £15, and 4GB for £20. Users will get an alert on their phone when they’ve used up 80-percent of their monthly allowance, and both tethering and VoIP use are permitted.

Entner: LTE and the U.S. - Consumers are king

Other countries have assigned three to eight times as much spectrum per person to satisfy the demand for data. Consider the impact on service prices if the FCC really opened up the spectrum spigot. When spectrum was still plentiful in the United States, the wireless operators competed prices to the lowest in the industrialized world.

Read more: fiercewireless.com

Reviews: LG Intuition 4G LTE Smartphone review

I will be blunt and say that I would not buy the LG Intuition for myself. There are some things I like about it such as the screen capture button, USB cover, rubber back, NFC, and large display. But the form factor isn’t for me. It isn’t pocket friendly or one-handed phone call friendly. The battery life is the worst I’ve experienced in awhile. I was lucky to get a full day of very limited use from the device before it was complaining that it needed to be charged. I also found the performance to be a little sluggish. Although I do like large screened devices – I am using an SGS3 right now, this one just doesn’t do it for me. Sorry LG. Maybe next time…

Read more at //the-gadgeteer.com 

2012-10-21

Quanta and Gemtek exhibited multi-mode multi-band mobile hot-spot prototypes

The 5th GTI Workshop jointly hosted by China Mobile and Global TD-LTE Initiative (GTI) took place in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates from October 15th to 16th, 2012.

In particular, the world's first global roaming enabled Multi-Mode Multi-Band mobile hotspot prototypes supporting five modes (LTE TDD/LTE FDD/TD-SCDMA/WCDMA/GSM) and eleven bands (Band 38/39/40/41/3/7/34/1/2/5/8) developed by Quanta and Gemtek were exhibited at the workshop. Later, GTI will perform a testing on the commercialization of the products. 

read more ameinfo.com

2012-10-20

China Mobile selects 7 suppliers for TD-LTE trial

Contractors TD-LTE solution for China Mobile are:
  1. ZTE  - Beijing, Tianjin, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Shenyang. More than 13,000 carrier frequencies.
  2. Alcatel-Lucent  - about 3,000 basestations in Shanghai, Nanjing and Qingdao in early 2013
  3. Huawei Technologies
  4. Ericsson
  5. Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN), 
  6. New Postcom Equipment Co. 
  7. Datang Mobile Communications Equipment Co. (Datang Mobile).
read more //eetimes.com



Airtel (India) rolls out 4G LTE network in Pune

Airtel has announced that it has launched postpaid 4G LTE services in Pune. This is the first 4G service in the state of Maharashtra. Before this, Airtel had rolled out LTE in Bangalore and Kolkata. 



read more //bgr.in

Nokia Siemens profits jump on LTE deals, cost cuts

Nokia Siemens Networks underlying operating profit jumped to 323 million euros ($424 million) from 6 million a year earlier, beating all analysts' expectations and pulling underlying Nokia group result into the black.

Sales of the fourth-generation high-speed LTE network equipment in Japan and Korea helped to boost profits and lifted group sales 3 percent from a year ago to 3.5 billion euros, beating all analysts expectations in a Reuters poll.

//cnbc.com

Alcatel-Lucent Shanghai Bell Earns New Contract for Deployment of China Mobile's TD-LTE Trial Network

As per the new contract, Alcatel-Lucent Shanghai Bell is entitled to provide 3,000 base stations in the cities of Shanghai, Nanjing and Qingdao – three major economic hubs of China. China Mobile will utilize the Alcatel-Lucent’s innovative TD-LTE technology to launch new services in the cities early next year.

China Mobile will utilize Alcatel-Lucent ‘s complete end-to-end TD-LTE solution including radio access products – the Alcatel Lucent 9926 Digital 2U eNodeB, TD-LTE Remote Radio Unit (RRU) for the multiple spectrum bands being used by CMCC as well as core networking equipment, and the Alcatel-Lucent’s 5620 Service Aware Manager (SAM) network management tool.

China Mobile is one of the largest wireless operators with over 700 million subscribers, and now its Mobile's trial TD-LTE network is expected to cover a total of 13 cities to keep up with the soaring demand for mobile broadband access in China, which enables consumers to get unlimited access to video, gaming and other high-bandwidth applications.

Lately, Alcatel-Lucent and China Mobile has inked a co-creation agreement in Shanghai to conduct a comprehensive trial of TD-LTE technology. In addition, both companies have also been developing and testing a series of lightRadio breakthrough technology elements.

Apart from that, both companies have also agreed to conduct joint nanocell research in China, put on paper after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Nanocells are a type of radio access technology that integrates wireless small cells with carrier grade Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) access points.

FCC approves AT&T-Sirius LTE spectrum peace treaty

The deal between the two companies will let AT&T use 20 MHz of the band while leaving 10 MHz open to avoid potential interference with Sirius. reed more //bgr.com

Verizon Q3 solid: 4.5 million LTE devices sold

With Verizon now having the high-speed 4G network available to 250 million people, the company's Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo said during the earnings conference call that out of the 3.1 million iPhone activations by Verizon in the third quarter, 21 percent LTE; and 3 million of the carrier's 3.4 million Android phone activations were 4G LTE. 

//topnews.in

UK's operators have banded to speed up 4G LTE 800 roll-out

O2, Vodafone, Everything Everywhere and Three have banded together to speed up the deployment of 4G services. Ofcom writes that the four have come together to form Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited (originally called MitCo), a company that will be funded by the successful bidders for 800MHz spectrum in the forthcoming auction. If any other party acquires spectrum in the auction, they can immediately become a shareholder in DMS Ltd.

The company will be responsible for ensuring consumers continue to receive clear Freeview TV signals following the roll out of 4G mobile services in the 800 MHz spectrum band. The early creation of such a company was one of the solutions highlighted by Ofcom and the government during conversations with mobile operators about speeding up the roll-out of 4G.

read more //tomshardware.com 

Singapore operators release Galaxy Note 2 LTE prices


M1SingTelStarHub
Samsung Galaxy Note 2 LTE (16GB)S$568 (S$39/month plan)
S$398 (S$59/month plan)
S$298 (S$98/month plan)
S$298 (S$198/month plan)
S$568 (S$40/month plan)
S$288 (S$60/month plan)
S$98 (S$100/month plan)
S$0 (S$205/month plan)
S$568 (S$38/month plan)
S$298 (S$58/month plan)
S$98 (S$98/month plan)
S$98 (S$205/month plan)
 read more //asia.cnet.com

2012-10-19

UE: Sierra Wireless AirLink GX440, LTE, DO - router, specification



Company: Sierra Wireless
Target Market:  
Field Service, Energy + Utilities, Oil &Gas, Infrastructure Monitoring, Security Surveillance, Mobile Office, Business Continuity, Retail, POS, ATM, Vending, Digital Signage, Fleet Management, Public Safety, Transportation
Cellular Modem Technologies:  
3G-CDMA
4G-LTE
Connectivity Modem Technologies: 
 Wi-Fi, 802.11bgn 2.4GHz
Cellular Frequency Bands: 
 LTE 700 MHz band 13; CDMA/EV-DO 800, 1900 MHz
Host Interfaces: 
Ethernet
Serial
USB
Antenna
Other
Application Interfaces: 
TCP/IP
UDP/IP
DHCP
HTTP
Other(s)
LED Indicators: 
Network
Signal
Activity
Power
Security: 
IPsec VPN
GRE Tunneling
Other
Commercial Availability: 
In Production
Remote Management: 
Yes
Enclosure: 
Rugged Design
Dimensions: 
143 x 96 x 44 mm
Weight: 
341 g
Application Processor: 
Robust ARM11 class processor
Supported Software Environments: 
ALEOS, ALEOS Application Framework, and AirVantage
Memory: 
128MB
Qualcomm Cellular Chipset Model: 
Qualcomm (part N/A)
External Power Supply: 
12 VDC and AC
Operational Temperature Range: 
-30°C to +70°C / -22°F to +158°F
GPS Capabilities: 
Yes
Standard Certifications: 
FCC, Industry Canada, RoHS Compliant, CE, E-Mark Mil-Spec 810-F, IP64, Class 1 Div 2
Operator Certifications: 
Verizon

UE: CradlePoint IBR600LE (LTE/EVDO) - router


 

Company:   
CradlePoint
Target Market: 
 M2M, Retail, Digital Kiosk, Transportation, Financial Services/Banking, Insurance, Distributed Enterprises
Cellular Modem Technologies: 
 3G-CDMA
4G-LTE
Connectivity Modem Technologies: 
 Wi-Fi, 802.11bgn 2.4GHz
Cellular Frequency Bands: 
 4G via internal high-speed LTE modem (3GPP Rel.8) backwards compatible to EVDO RevA, A/O; CDMA 1x
Host Interfaces: 
 Ethernet
Serial
USB
Antenna
Application Interfaces: 
 TCP/IP
UDP/IP
DHCP
HTTP
SNMP
SMTP
Other(s)
LED Indicators: 
Network
Signal
Activity
Service
Power
Security: 
IPsec VPN
GRE Tunneling
Encryption
Other
Commercial Availability: 
In Production
Remote Management: 
Yes
Enclosure: 
Compact size, ruggedized metal case. Comes with mounting bracket.
Dimensions: 
3.3-in x 4-in x 0.9-in (85mm x 102mm x 22mm)
Weight: 
7.2 oz (200g)
Application Processor: 
-
Qualcomm Cellular Chipset Model: 
Qualcomm (part N/A)
External Power Supply: 
12V / 1.5A power supply w/locking connector; GPIO cable available
Battery Back-Up: 
No
Operational Temperature Range: 
-20°C to 60°C (-4°F to 140°F) operating modem as WAN; -20°C to 50°C (-4°F to 122°F) operating Ethernet as WAN; -30°C to 70°C (-22°F to 158°F) storage
Voice support: 
No
GPS Capabilities: 
Yes
Standard Certifications: 
FCC, WiFi Alliance, 802.3, plus carrier specific certifications
Operator Certifications: 
Verizon
Power Input Rating: 
9-18V DV
Power Consumption: 
Idle:typ=350mA@12V(4.2W) worst case=700mA@12V(8.4W) Tx/Rx:typ=600mA@12V(7.2W) worst case=1200mA@12V(14.4W)
Description: 
The CradlePoint COR is ideal for use in high-availability portable or fixed M2M applications including kiosks, digital signage, vehicles, and other applications where connectivity is essential.

UE with LTE support "data base"  

UE: CradlePoint ARC MBR1400LE-VZ Integrated Broadband Router



CradlePoint ARC MBR1400LE-VZ

Company: CradlePoint
Target Market: Distributed Enterprises, Retail, M2M, Branch Locations, Kiosks
Cellular Modem Technologies: 
3G-CDMA,
4G-LTE
Connectivity Modem Technologies: Wi-Fi, 802.11abgn 2.4GHz/5Ghz
Cellular Frequency Bands:  
LTE Band 13 (700MHz)
Cellular/PCS (800MHz/1,900 MHz))
Host Interfaces:  Ethernet, USB, Antenna
Application Interfaces: Other(s)
LED Indicators: Network, Signal, Activity, Service,  Power
Security: IPsec VPN, GRE Tunneling, Encryption
Commercial Availability: In Production
Remote Management: Yes
Enclosure: Metal housing
Dimensions: 9-in x [5.1 or 7.25 or 9.6]-in x 1.6-in (230-mm x [130 or 185 or 245]-mm x 40-mm
Weight: Not specified
Application Processor:  -
Qualcomm Cellular Chipset Model: Qualcomm (part N/A)
External Power Supply: 12V / 1.5A power supply
Battery Back-Up: No
Operational Temperature Range: 0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F)
Voice support: Unspecified
GPS Capabilities: Yes
Standard Certifications: FCC, WiFi Alliance, 802.3, plus Carrier specific certifications
Operator Certifications: Sprint, Verizon
Cloud Support: Remote WAN Web-based Management Access HTTP, HTTPS), Web-based GUI (Easy Management), Server-based Centralized Management (WiPipe™ Central), SNMP v1, v2c & v3, CLI over SSH, One-button firmware upgrade, Modem Configuration and Management, Modem Data Usage and Alerts
Description: The CradlePoint MBR1400 Integrated Business Series Routers enable easy-to-install wireless connectivity in fixed-business locations. Ideal for distributed enterprises such as branch offices, retail locations, etc.

 more terminals with LTE 

2012-10-17

3 Italia to launch #LTE in Roma and Milan Nov.2012

3 Italia has band 3 (2x10 MHz) and band 38 (30 MHz) spectrum and I don't know yet which band operator will use for the networks from November 2012. I guess it would be FDD LTE band 3. Vendor is Ericsson. //tariffe.digital.it

Sony CDMA SOL21 certified by GCF

GSM / EDGE class 12 -  850, 900, 1800, 1900 
3G / HSDPA DL Cat.10 UL Cat.6  / FDD b1, b2, b5
LTE FDD b11, cat 3
LTE FDD b18, cat 3 

Sprint to release Samsung Galaxy Note II on October 25th for $299 on contract

Sprint officially announced availability and pricing for the Samsung Galaxy Note II this morning. The new device will be available beginning October 25th, the day after Samsung’s event presenting the Galaxy Note II in New York. The phone will be available for $299.99 in either Marble White or Titanium Gray with a two-year contract or eligible upgrade,. No word on what pricing will be like with less than a two-year contract or upgrade. Hit the break for the full press release. \\thefreedepot.com

NSN conracted for TD-LTE band 38 for COTA (Spain)

Nokia Siemens Networks, has provided the solution to successfully complete the first 4G mobile broadband pilot with TD-LTE technology in Murcia, Spain, ahead of a November launch for commercial services.

COTA, a new player in Spanish telecoms selected Nokia Siemens Networks as sole supplier for an end-to-end LTE service. COTA acquired 10 MHz in the 2.6 GHz band 38 auction in the summer of 2011. Wimax Online will benefit from the wholesale LTE access provided by COTA. In addition to extending the existing service portfolio with broadband offering, they will provide DSL-like services in the Murcia region where it is currently not possible to provide fixed-internet connectivity and VoIP. COTA also plans to provide television services through an IPTV-platform in the future. 

The end-to-end TD-LTE service is based on Nokia Siemens Networks' Flexi Multiradio Base Station technology together with existing TD-LTE CPE indoor 7212 and CPE outdoor 7210.
Russia's MTS launched band 38 network in Moscow. Aero2 - in Poland, 3 - in Sweden. There are bit more UE's for band 38, then CPE, but choice is very limited if compare with the US's AWS or  band 3, band 7. 

2012-10-16

Americans pay too much for their LTE plans


American smartphone owners are taking a bath on LTE and 3G pricing compared to European mobile consumers, a new study indicates. Verizon Wireless subscribers pay $7.50 per gigabyte on that carrier’s LTE network versus an average of $2.50 in Europe, for example. Even more shocking: Sweden’s LTE users pay as low as 63 cents.
According to the London-based GSM Association, despite the U.S. being the largest LTE market in the world, Americans pay much more for the superfast wireless technology than anyone else. The reason boils down to fewer choices… //idownloadblog.com 

Smart explores LTE roaming partnerships with Asian telcos


Wireless services provider Smart Communications, Inc. is in talks with several Asian telecommunications companies to allow Smart subscribers abroad to surf the Internet via Long Term Evolution (LTE).
Discussions are currently ongoing between Smart and Japan’s NTT Docomo, Hong Kong’s Hutchison Telecommunications, South Korea’s KT Corp., and Singapore’s StarHub.  //manilastandardtoday.com 

ASUS PadFone 2 A68 to be launched at Taiwan in October 2012


Qualcomm Snapdragon APQ8064 S4 Pro, 1.5 GHz, quad-core. GPU Adreno 320 
2 GB RAM
4.7" 1280x720 IPS+, 700 nits
13 mpix, AF, LED flash, Zero Shutter lag, full HD rec. @30fps 1080p and 60fps 720p
1.2 mpix
microUSB 2.0, MHL
GPS, AGPS
Wi-Fi 802.11 ABGN
BT4.0
2140 mAh Li-Ion
137.9 x 68.9 x 9 mm, 135 g

LTE
CS/PS Mode operation in LTE
CS Fallback support 

3G, HSDPA, Cat. 24 900 / 2100
GSM / EDGE class 10, 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900

Available with or w/o tablet "station" from 2012.10

"tablet" of the phablet
10.1" 
16 GB or 32 GB or 64 GB 
649 g

Prices
US$310 for smartphone 16 GB 
US$310 for tablet only 
US$620 for phablet (tablet+smarphone 16GB); US$750 - 64 GB.  

2012-10-15

eSRVCC: Voice over LTE now ‘ready for widespread commercial deployment’


The path to all-LTE networks just got cleared up a bit. After Qualcomm and Ericsson announced the handover of a voice call from the ’4G’ standard to 3G back in February, Huawei and T-Mobile Austria – and Qualcomm again – have revealed a much smoother transition that should actually lead to commercial deployment this time.
Why is this important? Because LTE has only seen a patchy deployment so far. The networks know how to do all-IP Voice over LTE (VoLTE), but that’s of limited use if the call dies as soon as the user steps out of LTE coverage. VoLTE only makes sense if the users can continue the call while switching between network types, without noticing.
It’s a virtuous circle. Once VoLTE becomes viable for operators, phone manufacturers can start building their phones around it. Gradually, they will be able to stop putting 2G and even 3G voice capabilities into their handsets, which will make it viable for operators to turn off those old technologies and reuse the spectrum for 4G.
And it’s the smoothness of the handover that’s crucial here. The demonstration back in February used a technology called Single Radio Voice Call Continuity (SRVCC), and involved a pause of more than a second while the call was handed over. This time we’re talking the enhanced version of that tech – eSRVCC – and the pause is less than 300 ms. 

read more //gigaom.com 

ZTE Wins China Mobile TD-LTE Contract


ZTE has won China Mobile’s TD- LTE contract to construct operator’s TD-LTE network in five Chinese cities, namely Beijing, Tianjin, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Shenyang, with more than 13,000 carrier frequencies.
China Mobile launched the TD-LTE bidding in August 2012. The tender included contracts for some 20,000 base stations and 52,000 carrier sectors.

STC (Saudi Arabia) introduces Huawei Ascend P1 LTE exclusively

The Ascend P1 LTE is compatible with 4G LTE and 3G technologies and is highly efficient at sending and receiving data. The device features a 4.3" touch screen, at 950 x 540 pixels, and employs Corning's Gorilla II glass and Super AMOLED HD technologies. The device also features full Arabic language support in addition to the latest Google Services. The Ascend P1 LTE comes fully loaded with a 1.5 GHz Qualcomm MSM 8960 dual-core processor, a 4 GB internal memory, 1 GB of RAM, and an external memory support of 64 GB. It also comes with a 8 megapixels AF, Dual-LED flash rear-facing camera, with 30 frames per second picture quality, and a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera. 

//ameinfo.com

More about STC (Saudi Arabia) 

2012-10-13

Sprint Adds 4 New 4G LTE Devices at CTIA to Growing Network


The devices that are announced include:

Review: MetroPCS Samsung Galaxy Attain 4G LTE


Android 2.3 Gingerbread
3.5" 320 x 480 QVGA, 165 ppi
1 GHz, single core Samsung Hummingbird
512 MB RAM, microSDHD up to 32 GB
3 mpix, LED flash
1.3 mpix with Google Talk preloaded
1650 mAh, 3h05m talk time; about 20 h in waiting mode (with gmail on)
4.57" x 2.38" x 0.46" (116 mm x 60 mm x 12 mm); 4.20 ounces (119 g) - spec. (4.6 oz and 130 g - real)

Operators
  1. USA, MetroPCS, 2012.10 
News

Chipsets: Silicon Motion Technology Corp (SIMO) - LTE adoption will drive Growth

Silicon Motion Technology Corporation (SIMO) is a fabless semiconductor company based in Taiwan. Unfortunately, for much of 2012, SIMO has been a great company but a terrible stock.

During 2012 the company has quietly built an impressive array of new products (Samsung LTE transceivers and SoC and embedded controllers for major NAND flash vendors). Sales of these products only accounted for 10% of revenue in 2011, but "increased 75% sequentially and accounted for 32% of total revenues" in second quarter of 2012(From Q2 statement). Below are three reasons LTE adoption will fuel impressive growth and make SIMO a potential acquisition target.

Nvidia pushes 4G LTE compatible Tegra processors, puts pressure on Qualcomm

While this Icera LTE modem is a separate component, Nvidia has new processors -- codenamed "Wayne" -- in the pipeline for next year that will have integrated Icera 410 LTE modems. Integration of the modem with the processor will simplify manufacturer's production lines, keeping costs down.

And Nvidia isn't planning to stand still either, with plans to integrate the more advanced Icera 500 LTE modem into future mobile processors.

UE: Softbank (Japan) launches new Huawei mobile router with LTE

The Huawei-made modem will allow uploads at speeds of up to 110 Mbps and can handle 10 simultaneous users via Wi-Fi connections.

Softbank is charging JPY5,000 (USD64) per month for an LTE package which includes 5GB of bandwidth each month; data transfer speeds are throttled once the user reaches the limit, or additional bandwidth can be bought in 2GB blocks for JPY2,625.

//telegeography.com

Another mobile router in SoftBank lineup is SoftBank 102Z (ZTE), announced 2012.09.14

NTT DoCoMo unveils winter lineup, pushes big displays, LTE, quad-cores and NFC payments

NTT DOCOMO, INC., announced today its 2012 winter lineup of 16 models for launch in or after November, including nine smartphones, one tablet, four feature phones, one photo panel and one mobile Wi-Fi® router. 



All smartphones, the tablet and the router compatible with DOCOMO’s Xi™ (“crossy”) LTE service for max. downlinks of 100 Mbps. 

//engadget.com

Alcatel-Lucent opens the doors for 4G LTE programmers

Alcatel-Lucent is making light easier for low-level 4G LTE developers by opening up a new suite of APIs.

Nine ‘New Conversation APIs’ are designed to give developers easy access to communication capabilities in service providers’ IP Multimedia Subsystem, the infrastructure that sits at the heart of 4G LTE and IP networks.

Specifically, Alcatel-Lucent claims that, "These capabilities include high definition voice and video, audio/video conferencing, interactive voice, messaging and call control, which can be used to build services for both consumers and businesses. ... To jump-start the developer ecosystem Alcatel-Lucent is leveraging its ngConnect program, which brings together service providers and apps developers as well as offering easy access to the APIs, along with a fast prototyping environment provided by the New Conversation API developer portal. These APIs are based on REpresentational State Transfer (REST), a popular, easy-to-use software architecture used to create applications for the Web." 

Sprint LTE trudges ahead to San Francisco, 21 other markets

Sprint has covered 24 markets so far.

Here's the list of cities that Sprint announced today: San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, Calif., Cape Coral-Ft Meyers, Fla., Dyersburg-Union City-Martin, Tenn., Emporia, Kan., Fort Wayne, Ind., Greenwood, Miss., Joplin, Mo., Kokomo, Ind., Lafayette/West Lafayette, Ind., Lexington Park, Md., Marion, Ind., Napa, Calif., Naples-Marco Island, Fla., Ottawa-Streator, Ill., Punta Gorda, Fla., Santa Rosa-Petaluma, Calif., Sarasota-Bradenton, Fla., Sebring, Fla., South Bend-Mishawaka, Ind., Terre Haute, Ind., Vallejo-Fairfield, Calif., Warsaw, Ind.

2012-10-12

Opinion: What is the best way for operators to price 4G LTE?

When it comes to monetising innovation, 4G LTE should be considered a pivotal opportunity.

Historically, operators have exhibited anomalous charging: every industry except mobile operators charges for speed.

When 3G launched there was a clear “go-to-market” pattern in most markets.

Prices per month were static or decreased, data allowances remained constant or increased – effectively giving more speed for less money!

So, how do you maximise revenue from 4G LTE?

There’s no general answer: as always, it depends on several factors regarding the operator’s situation and positioning:

  1. Internal perception of 4G LTE: is it driven by technology or marketing? 
  2. Data market maturity: what are your subscriber growth expectations? 
  3. Operator market position: are you a leader or a challenger? 
  4. Current 3G network utilisation: is it almost full or does a capacity surplus remain? 
  5. Brand promise/proposition: are you a value brand or a no-frills brand? 

//eurocomms.com

Softbank-Sprint Deal Seen Presaging Deutsche Telekom Exit

U.S. rival Sprint Nextel Corp.  today said it’s in talks to receive a “potential substantial investment” from Japan’s Softbank Corp.  A transaction could create an operator financially strong enough to eventually bid for the assets T- Mobile USA is trying to combine with MetroPCS Communications Inc., said a person familiar with Softbank’s plans, declining to be identified as the discussions are private. //bloomberg.com 

2012-10-11

Telefônica | Vivo chooses Ericsson as supplier for 4G/LTE network in Brazil

Press-release
  • Ericsson will implement a new 4G/LTE network for Vivo, a subsidiary of Telefônica
  • New network will meet users' demand for connectivity and mobile broadband services
  • Agreement strengthens Ericsson's position as main telecom infrastructure supplier for Vivo and marks Ericsson's second 4G/LTE win in Brazil
To cope with data traffic growth and expand its mobile coverage, Vivo - Brazil's largest operator serving 75.7 million mobile subscribers - has chosen Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) to supply and implement a 4G/LTE network in the North and Mid-Western regions of Brazil, as well as the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Bahia and Sergipe.

Ericsson is selected as supplier for Vivo's 4G/LTE network, which will feature Ericsson's latest RBS 6000 multi-standard radio base stations. This agreement strengthens Ericsson's position as primary telecom infrastructure supplier for Vivo and marks Ericsson's second 4G/LTE win in Brazil.

Eduardo Ricotta, Vice President of Ericsson Latin America and the Caribbean, says: "We are honored to be chosen once again to cooperate with Vivo, supporting their network evolution and innovation. This decision is a result of the positive experiences that the operator has had with the successful implementation of Ericsson's GSM, WCDMA and HSPA technologies in the past. The evolution of mobile networks is a fundamental step toward the advent of the Networked Society in Brazil."

Under the terms of the agreement, Ericsson is also responsible for network implementation, including network rollout, design and support services.

Ericsson has now signed 89 LTE/EPC contracts in 38 countries on five continents.

Will voice-over-LTE become a casualty of the T-Mobile-MetroPCS merger?

MetroPCS is the most aggressive operator in the country when it comes to VoLTE, but its proposed merger with T-Mobile might put its rollout of mobile VoIP on hold. If the merger passes, the combined T-Metro would no longer face the same capacity constraints.  //gigaom.com 

2012-10-10

Telenor has announced the lauch of its LTE network


Telenor has announced the lauch of its LTE network in 11 towns and cities in the country. Plan to have 1/3 of the Norvegian pop. covered by its LTE network by the end of the 2012. And 90% population coverage by 2015. At launch the service is available only to connected laptop and tablet users, while LTE-enabled smartphones will be available by the Christmas. At launch the firm’s LTE network will cover the towns of Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger, Lørenskog, Sandnes, Lillestrøm, Asker, Bærum, Lofthus in Hardanger and Longyearbyen. By the end of the year Fredrikstad, Sarpsborg, Skien, Porsgrunn, Drammen and Kristiansand will have been covered, the firm said.

#Vodacom (S.Africa) launched #LTE #band3 #1800MHz


Networks
band 3 1800 MHz  commercial from 2012.10.10
~500 BS LTE plan before 2012 end
~50 BS LTE in Johannesburg 2012.10 
~9000 BS 2G/3G 2012.10

News
2012.09.28 Vodacom is set to launch LTE by the 2012 end. Plan also coverage in Pretoria and Durban. The company is refarming its 1800 MHz spectrum, which requires a balancing act so that existing customers are not disadvantaged. 

Verizon (USA): 35% of data traffic now rides over LTE

11 million of Verizon's LTE customers generates 35% of all data traffic. The rest 83 million is responsible for 65% of data. So average LTE subscriber consume 4 times more data, then 3G average subscriber at the moment.

//gigaom.com

Here are Verizon’s New 4G LTE Markets That Launch Next Week, Rest of 2012 Too

Verizon just announced via webcast that they will activate their 400th 4G LTE market next week and that VoLTE will hopefully be live by the end of 2013. While those two announcements are major, I’m sure that those of you not yet in an LTE market are dying to know if you are in the next batch. We have the list for you, but beyond that, Verizon also provided us with a list of the markets that they are expanding coverage in, and which towns and cities across this great country that will see LTE before the year is over with.

New Markets:

  • Gladsden, Ala
  • Chico/Oroville, Calif
  • Owensboro, Ky
  • Waterville/Augusta, Maine
  • Marquette, Mich
  • Brainerd and Fergus Falls/Alexandria, Minn
  • Hattiesburg and Laurel, Neb
  • Columbia, Mo
  • Norfolk and North Platte, Neb
  • Clovis, NM
  • Jamestown, NY
  • Bend and Medford/Grants Pass, Ore
  • Amarillo and Victoria, Texas
  • Aberdeen and Walla Walla, Wash
  • Morgantown, W. Va 

#LTE User Devices: #GSA's products database increased to 467

GSA is updating the contents of its database of LTE user devices which have been officially announced by manufacturers.

Another 50 products have been added today, taking the total up to 467 announced products, which is over 11% higher than the total confirmed by GSA on July 3, 2012.

2012-10-09

Omantel selects Ericsson for 4G/LTE network

Omantel, the pioneer integrated telecom services provider with more than 2.7 million subscribers, has selected Ericsson to build its 4G/LTE network and transform Omantel’s Radio Access Network (RAN). 

The agreement marks the beginning of a new managed services partnership between the two companies, in which Ericsson provided Omantel its assurance of operational efficiency and improved network quality. 

//omanobserver.om 

4G LTE Wireless Broadband now available in Swindon, Southwark and Reading

Press-release. Residents and local businesses to be among the first to experience high-speed 4G wireless broadband

now Broadband, a service offered by wireless specialist UK Broadband, has today announced that its 4G wireless broadband is now available to buy for residents and businesses in areas of Swindon, Southwark and Reading. The networks provide residents and local businesses with the opportunity to enjoy superfast 4G broadband speeds for the first time in the UK.

now Broadband’s fixed wireless 4G LTE broadband service offers superfast broadband via a home router and, with no long-term contracts or no phone line required, users are provided with a flexible alternative to a fixed broadband connection.

“We are really excited to offer residents and businesses in these areas a unique opportunity to enjoy 4G speeds using our wireless networks,” said Nicholas James CEO at now Broadband. “Our services offer a truly flexible, hassle free alternative to fixed line broadband services – whether it’s at home, work or a customer WiFi solution.

“In terms of business benefits, this service can be either the primary superfast internet connection or provide the secondary or resilient connection to ensure that local businesses and organisations are connected at all times. Being always connected is now an essential requirement in today’s business and increasingly cloud based world. It can be extremely damaging if a business loses its internet connection. Wireless broadband provides a low-cost, reliable second connection as well as providing significant additional internet capacity to the business.”

now Broadband offers four packages suitable for home and business needs – from light browsing and email, to advanced packages suitable for on demand services such as TV, gaming and business applications. The new service is fast and flexible with monthly payment options, and no hidden costs.

now Broadband’s 4G service is available to residents and businesses in areas of Swindon, Southwark and Reading. To find out whether you can benefit from now Broadband in your area simply enter your postcode into the coverage checker: www.mynow.co.uk


Source

More about UK Broadband >>


ZyXEL Debuts LTE Solutions at 2012 Broadband World Forum Europe


ZyXEL Communications, a world-class broadband networking company that provides leading Internet solutions for customers ranging from telecommunications service providers, small- and medium-sized businesses to home users, today announced its presentation of leading-edge, end-to-end broadband solutions at Broadband World Forum Europe (BBWFE) 2012. The world-renowned event takes place 16-18 October, 2012 at the RAI Exhibit and Convention Center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

As a leader in the development and deployment of WiMAX in 2008, ZyXEL’s credentials in 4G is evident in the family of LTE devices being debuted at BBWFE. The company’s new indoor and outdoor LTE CPE and Mobile LTE Hotspot Router extend feature-rich wireless LTE connectivity to home, work, and while on the go.

Yota (Russia) announced limited launch of LTE-A Rel.10 in Moscow

Yota Networks today announced the launch of LTE technology Advanced on a commercial network (not to be confused by the words - it is not commercial launch). LTE Advanced will allow data transfer rate up to 300 Mbps for the subscriber device. At this time the technology has been introduced at the part of commercial network in Moscow.

Managing Director Yota Networks Yegor Ivanov: "we run LTE Advanced ahead of other global operators, because the Yota Networks enjoyed by subscribers of several virtual operators (MVNOS), even more acute challenge match network capacity growing consumption data. 
Introduction of the most advanced telecommunication technologies are the only way to accomplish this task".

The first consumer devices to support LTE Advanced will appear in Yota Networks lineup in the first half of 2013. By this time Yota Network plan to deploy the technology on all of its commercial network. Partner Yota to introduce Rel.10 is Huawei, which is the main supplier of telecommunication equipment for Yota Networks.

There is 11 base stations involved in the launch LTE-A in Moscow. So it is look like pilot network for me. 

2012-10-08

Brazilian carriers start LTE trials; Oi to invest $493 million

Less than four months after holding the 2.6 GHz spectrum auction for LTE, Brazilian wireless telecom operators have begun to do some LTE testing and launches. Last week, Oi trialed its LTE network with a videocall test using a Samsung Galaxy SIII LTE smartphone. The carrier said it expects to invest about U.S.$ 494 million (R$ 1 billion) on LTE launches through 2015. 

Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs & Parrot: AR.Drone with 4G Dongle over 1000 m / 3280 ft record!

The Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 is many good things, but "long-ranged" isn't what comes to mind with a 165-foot maximum distance between pilot and quadrocopter. Not to be daunted, Alcatel-Lucent has conducted a test with an ad hoc LTE network, a USB modem and a smartphone to see just how far the remote-controlled aircraft could go on 4G. In practice, quite far: thanks in part to the inherently wide coverage of the 800MHz band in France, the team flew the AR.Drone more than 3,280 feet (one kilometer), all while streaming 720p video of the farmland below.

//engadget.com

Huawei Ascend P1 LTE hands-on

In practice, the P1 LTE is a more rounded, comfortable smartphone than its peers, with a finely textured back and (on the black version we tried) just a slight hint of HTC One-like attention to detail through its red camera trim. The body is undoubtedly thicker than the iPhone 5 or other very recent 4G-toting smartphones, although we wouldn't call it portly; it's just thicker than we'd like given how little of a size penalty 4G carries these days. That does reflect the high-capacity removable battery we were missing before, though, and should satisfy data junkies who like to keep spare battery packs on hand. You'll still find the same 4.3-inch, qHD AMOLED screen, which unfortunately leads to visible pixels even as it still provides a reasonably bright display with good viewing angles.

Most of the spec sheet reads out like a photocopy of the P1. The LTE edition keeps its ordinary counterpart's 1.5GHz TI OMAP 4460 processor, 4GB of built-in storage (plus microSD), 8-megapixel rear camera and 1.3-megapixel front camera, all running on Android 4.0.4 with a variation of Huawei's very light custom skin. We did notice a few changes from the earlier formula in our tester. The navigation keys are noticeably closer to Google's official design in appearance and layout, with just the menu key as a giveaway that it's not completely stock. Huawei's new hardware runs about as quickly as the old, netting a reasonable 1,897ms in SunSpider web browser testing, and the unbranded, unlocked model we used had little in the way of bundled apps that weren't Google's own. That last point is likely to change if an American or Canadian carrier gets control.