Telstra trialing LTE technology in May
- — 18 March, 2010 15:43
LTE is considered the long-term successor to HSPA+ technology, which currently powers Telstra's Next G network in Australia.
Telstra will conduct trials of wireless broadband technology Long Term Evolution (LTE) in May in order to assess its performance.
LTE is considered the natural successor to HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) technology, the standard currently powering Telstra's Next G network.
Telstra will conduct LTE trials for three to six months starting in May, and has partnered with Ericsson, Huawei and Nokia Siemens to do so.
"LTE is globally acknowledged as the dominant next-generation technology for mobile technology," said Michael Rocca, Telstra's acting chief operations officer. "It will be an important evolution for the Next G network in due course because it will give consumers access to higher speeds while giving Telstra the capacity to serve an increasing number of customers and applications."
Rocca was quick to quell speculation that LTE technology would replace HSPA+ in the near future, and described it as an "evolution" rather than a revolution.
"We're already achieving speeds and capacity that are among the best in the world and there's plenty left in the tank, so while LTE will be an important evolution for the Next G network, it won't be a revolution because HSPA+ is already setting the benchmark for our customers' experience," he said.
The Telstra tests will aim to measure specific LTE attributes including radio access characteristics, coverage, performance, signal propagation and various enhanced packet core features.
Telstra confirmed that LTE testing will take place in both urban and rural areas of Australia, as well as laboratory trials.
