Motorola testing out LTE in UK

According to a press release, Motorola have started trials of an LTE network in the UK. LTE, or Long Term Evolution, is a a 4th generation (4G) mobile broadband standard and is aimed to be the successor to the 3G technologies GSM/UMTS. Like WiMAX, this technology will provide broadband services wirelessly but instead of transmitting signals via microwaves, LTE utilizes a radio platform. You will need a LTE modem to access the network, which can be in USB format, ExpressCard, PCMCIA, or embedded in a laptop; it will also likely be featured as the internet connection on PDAs and phones of the future and promises peak download rates of up to 100Mbps. The full press release is after the break.

SWINDON, UK. – 02 February 2009 – Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT), today launched its LTE trial network and testing lab in Swindon, UK. The occasion was marked with a live, over the air, standards compliant LTE call during which high-speed data services were streamed using Motorola’s LTE infrastructure operating in the 2.6GHz spectrum and a prototype LTE device.

This latest expansion of Motorola’s LTE trial facilities offers operators the ability to engage in LTE technology field trials and detailed real-world equipment testing at the UK site.  Additionally, Motorola can host the core elements of the LTE network for operators that require a hosted LTE trial in EMEA. The network and trial activity is fully supported by Motorola services, giving operators access to Motorola’s expertise in deploying and optimizing OFDM-based mobile broadband networks as well as developing 4G migration strategies.

“Motorola is at the forefront of 4G development which will address the mobility demands of today’s consumers who are looking for personalized media experiences and operators looking to lower their cost per bit and gain a competitive advantage," said Joe Cozzolino, senior vice president and general manager, Motorola Home & Networks Mobility, EMEA & Asia Pacific. “With our latest trial network we look forward to working closely with our customers in EMEA as they transition to LTE during 2009 and beyond.”

Visitors to Mobile World Congress 2009 can experience Motorola’s LTE live in a mobile environment. For more information and to book a live LTE tour please visit http://www.motorola.com/events/mwc2009

Within its LTE lab in Swindon, UK, Motorola engineers work on LTE radio frequency and self organising network (SON) development. In addition, the site in Swindon remains a center of excellence for Motorola base station transceiver (BTS) development for GSM and now LTE. Development of Motorola’s LTE solutions is also conducted in Arlington Heights, Illinois; Fort Worth, Texas; Beijing, China and Bangalore, India.

Motorola’s first commercial release of LTE solutions later this year will include products for the 700MHz and 2.6GHz spectrum bands to help operators increase coverage and capacity of their networks as they strive to meet the growing demand for mobile broadband services. Motorola is engaged with operators in North America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region for LTE field trial activity.

LTE brings true mobile broadband, giving users a personalized, affordable media experience at home and while on the go. LTE is based on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), a next-generation radio frequency technology that has high spectral efficiency, and utilizes an all-IP flat architecture, resulting in a much increased capacity and a lower cost per bit that enables the delivery of mobile broadband services to the mass market.