LTE – or Long Term Evolution – is the next generation in wireless internet. With speeds rivalling BT fixed broadband, the prospect of super high-speed mobile broadband may finally become a viable alternative to its fixed line counterpart. And for those who live in South Korea or the US you may well already been enjoying the benefits of LTE in your area.
Verizon has recently unleashed its 4G LTE network in the US, with blistering download speeds being reported at between 5Mbps and 20Mbps. In the UK, such networks would revolutionise the broadband market and would allow mobile devices to compete against fixed line networks. Increased competition would mean better pricing and further innovation...but us Brits may be waiting til beyond 2012.
So what is the hold up in the UK? Frequencies formerly safeguarded for analogue TV are now being repurposed for LTE signals. This process involves a government auction to the telecoms industry, where parts of the spectrum are sold off to each. The process is only due to start in 2013 when the Digital Switchover comes to a conclusion.
These two factors mean LTE will have a slower, but potentially steadier, uptake than 3G. However, with devices now able to use the bandwidth and users eager to utilise fast mobile networks, it could be a frustrating teething period for consumers.
There’s also one more hurdle: hardware. Most of the operators are already testing LTE and devising potential ways to implement the architecture. Handsets are already available abroad – such as the HTC Evo 4G (a beefed up version of the HTC Desire HD) and the Motorola Atrix.
So while it may be frustrating now, the eventual full roll-out in 2013 could be the most sensible path to take, considering how badly 3G failed. Then we’ll all be waiting for the next faster innovation.
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