Motorola begins testing LTE technology with Verizon and others

Motorola has begun testing LTE (Long-Term Evolution) technology with a number of telecom operators, including Verizon Wireless, with an aim to push the commercialization of related LTE equipment starting 2009, according to Ray Owen, general director of Motorola Vietnam and Motorola's head of technology, Asia.

Although WiMAX has taken a pounding of late from industry watchers, Owen insisted that WiMAX and LTE are not competing technologies. The core technology behind LTE is actually close to Wi-Fi and WiMAX, Owen added.

In fact, about 75% of the R&D efforts Motorola has spent for the development of WiMAX technology have also been channeled to support LTE, according to sources at Motorola.

In addition, WiMAX equipment rolled out by Motorola from the third quarter of this year will be able to share the same hardware platform with its LTE products, allowing telecom operators to save costs if they decide to adopt both standards, Owen said.

Telecom operators are expected to begin to push LTE into commercial operations in the next 12-18 month in order to improve their performance, Owen asserted.

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