Component manufacturers are starting to sample the first devices that support the next generation of LTE--LTE Advanced, according to a new report from Heavy Reading.
"Carrier commitment to LTE continues to grow, now including 166 operators across 62 countries," wrote Simon Stanley, Analyst at Large with Heavy Reading and author of the report. "A total of 24 operators have launched commercial LTE networks in 16 countries, making LTE the fastest-growing wireless technology in the world."
Single-band USB dongles and dual-mode LTE handsets are the devices being utilized on initial LTE networks, but multimode handsets that support 2G/3G/LTE will become the next wave in 2012. "Using the silicon devices already developed, the next generation of handsets will be multiband, supporting 2G/3G and possibly multiple LTE bands," Stanley said. "Meanwhile, the first silicon devices with features such as carrier aggregation and multi-user MIMO to support LTE-Advanced are already sampling to system developers."
The report also highlights that fact that a full LTE ecosystem, including more than 50 silicon devices, has developed specifically to support LTE. Of the more than 70 silicon devices covered in this report, more than 50 have been designed specifically for LTE or have had features added to support LTE.
For more:
- see this Heavy Reading executive summary
- see this Cellular-News article
Related articles:
Europe takes a slow road to LTE deployments
Mass market LTE handsets by 2012, claims silicon developer
Verizon LTE phones won't be compatible with other LTE networks