14 DAY TRIAL // The LTE/SAE (Long Term Evolution/System Architecture Evolution) Trial Initiative (LSTI) launched in May this year has reported the successful delivery of the first in a series of test results. This means that the technology can move to the next trial phase and eventually make it out on the market.
The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) looks to use LTE as a next generation mobile broadband technology. The LTE/SAE Trial Initiative is divided into three main phases, including Proof of concept, Interoperability and Trial. The technology has been tested for both stationary and mobile devices. 3GPP LTE intends to provide improved spectral efficiency, increased radio capacity, lower operating costs for operators and more evolved services.
First results confirmed that the LTE technology will manage to bring high levels of data throughput both for stationary and mobile devices. This should lead to faster data transfer speeds through wireless technology. Research has started this spring and now proves to have managed to reach some results. 3GPP LTE should make it possible to reach a downlink/uplink peak data rates above 100/50 Mbps in initial deployment configurations.
"These early results show great promise for 3GPP LTE technology, and are a tangible early validation of the reality of 3GPP LTE systems and services. The collective and cooperative performance test work accomplished to date by this pioneering group is a testimony to the group's leadership and determination to accelerate the availability of commercial and interoperable LTE systems", stated an LSTI spokesperson.
Leading telecom companies have been working on this trial. Among them, there are also listed Ericsson, Nokia, T-Mobile, Vodafone, as well as LG Electronics, NTT DoCoMo and Samsung. The testing will go on, while reporting of all future results will continue until the end of year 2009. The initial LTE system deployment is set to happen around 2010.