LTE Sees Strong Growth Around the World

Research Firm ABI Research has released reports that telecoms companies around the world are taking advantage of the new LTE technology, which will give mobile broadband technology a significant step up in terms of usability and speed. Across the world there are now 132 networks that plan to either use LTE commercially or have already run trials of the technology.

The USA and Japan will be rolling out the technology on their networks before the end of the year, thanks to telecommunications networks Verizon and DoComMo, respectively. The UK is ever so slightly behind that schedule with rollouts being made on the O2 network due to start by the end of 2010 and continue into early 2011. It’s worth noting that rolling out the technology does not mean that the devices will be in the hands of consumers straight away, though Verizon plan to get the technology out to Americans by May next year.

LTE can manage about 1 Gbps speeds in total, but before you get too excited these lines are likely to be shared by many people, and speeds of 8 – 36 are much more likely. Of course, even 8 mbps would be many times what many people who currently use mobile broadband are experiencing on mobile broadband. There’s also the risk that mobile broadband providers will take this news technology and use it to overcrowd existing lines meaning more of a profit margin for them, but no big speed increase for the users.

Bhavya Khanna, an ABI Research analyst said:

“Don’t expect [LTE alternative] WiMAX to bow out just yet. Despite setbacks including Russia’s Yota switching to LTE, 188 WiMAX networks are now in trial or commercial operation worldwide. With India’s wireless broadband spectrum auction recently concluded, expect that number to grow in 2011.

Clearwire, a WiMAX service provider in the United States, continues to build out its network and add subscribers, buoyed by the launch of a popular WiMAX-capable handset, the HTC EVO 4G.”

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