Australian company Telstra has commenced the roll out of Australia’s first 4G LTE mobile network in selected cities and regions within the country. Telstra had launched its 4G LTE services in May, but this is the first mass consumer rollout of the technology. Telstra’s USB 4G mobile broadband modem is currently the only way to access the new network. The company claims that users in 4G coverage areas will enjoy “typical download speeds…up to ten times faster than 3G speeds” offered by rival telecommunication agencies.

Specifically, within Australia, Telstra faces challenges from the dense population of urban centers and the necessity in covering massive areas with long distance mobile cells in rural parts of the country. To contend with this, the company uses a range of frequency bands of different widths to densely encode and pack information, allowing it to fit more information than 3G in the same amount of space. The company places an emphasis on developing LTE to keep up with burgeoning subscriber numbers along with increasing data demands. Mike Wright, Telstra’s executive director of networks says that the “rollout is largely about maintaining the user experience and capacity on our network. The objective is to make sure we have sufficient spectrum and capacity to deal with dense areas of the network where demands are highest.”

Telstra rolled out the LTE service within the 1,800MHz radio spectrum band, but looks to add on the 700 MHz band (which has heretofore been occupied by analogue TV signals) soon. This potential dual- mode network will allow for the combination of LTE’s high speed and call density in metropolitan areas with the longer reach and more reliable coverage of 700MHz services in all parts of the country. But as of now, access to the LTE network is possible only through the USB modem. The company, in partnership with HTC, looks to unveil the “HTC 4G” which will be the first smartphone to operate on the new network and is scheduled for release in 2012.

On Friday we told you that Verizon Wireless would be launching their LTE network any day now. We also told you (we’re so informative) that despite the increased network capability, you wouldn’t be able to access their new service via LTE-enabled handsets until sometime early next year. Fortunately, you won’t have to mope around until early 2011, wondering if the day will you’ll be able to access their next generation LTE service will ever actually come. That day is almost here. In reality, it will probably be sometime around Thanksgiving when you’ll actually be able to take advantiage of the  mobile web capabilities of Verizon’s new LTE network via a line of USB Modems.

Until now, we didn’t have the slightest inkling as to what those devices might look like, though we probably could have just closed our eyes and envisioned some fairly accurate depiction of  a Verizon USB modem. Well, Verizon has provided us with some accidental relief to our overly active imaginations; an ad featuring two of their USB LTE modems has leaked. Tech blog Engadget broke the story over the weekend with a snap of some promotional material for two LTE-ready devices.

(image Via Engadget)

The LG VL600 and Pantech UML290 4G will bring the power of Verizon’s LTE network to customers  hungry for  faster download speeds. They’ll be able to take advantage of improved download speeds of up to 12Mbps. While this is no match for LTE speeds offered by TeliaSonera in Sweden, it’s an extremely long shot that Verizon users  move to Sweden just to get a consistent 30mbps.The LG model will be able to handle both Verizon’s current CDMA network as well as the LTE upgrade, and the Pantech model boasts that “Global capability” is coming soon. We’re not exactly sure what they’ll use to achieve compatibility with other networks around the globe. The speculation is that there will possibly be a SIM card or a software-defined radio. In addition to these two currently-leaked USB modems, there’s talk of a sleeker Novatel device.

Not much could be called rotten with the state of Denmark’s broadband networks. Many Danes will soon have “unmatched” high-speed Internet capabilities with a little help from their Swedish friends at Ericsson. TDC, Denmark’s leading mobile service provider, has tapped the telecom industry-leading equipment vendors to provide for and oversee the launch and operation of an LTE network covering the Danish landscape.

The new “4G” LTE network will utilize Ericsson’s Evolved Packet Core and the LTE radio solution. The contract, for a yet-t0-be disclosed amount, is Ericsson’s “first full-scope managed service contract for an LTE/Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network,” according to a press release. Ericsson already has an existing relationship with the Danish service provider, but the success of this deployment  will surely be pivotal in the strengthening of that relationship. More importantly to TDC CEO Jess Ibsen, the contract presents the opportunity to prove that their company’s highest priority is to provide customers with an optimal net surfing experience; adding that a smooth and fast transfition to LTE is of vital interest.

Getting a nation’s number one carrier is a big get for Ericsson‘s set of LTE solutions, but it’s certainly not a first. They currently have seven LTE contracts spread out around the world, including two in operation– with MetroPCS in the US and TeliaSonera in Norway and Sweden. Ericsson seems to have a firm grasp on the future of LTE equipment. They expect to soon be the largest holder of patents for LTE technology with a solid 25 percent. If all goes well in Denmark, expect even more large carriers to bite on Ericsson’s offerings.

To the casual telecom observer LTE sounds like a happy stretch of spectrum where speedy net connections are available to everyone wielding a device capable of interacting on that plane. To that end the USBConnect Adrenaline from LG must sound like a key to unlock that magical dimension, as the first LTE-Upgradeable AT&T device. Though the mobile broadband modem introduced earlier this month is currently capable of operating on the carrier’s HSPA+ network, it will make the transformation to LTE with a software upgrade that will be available once the rollout of LTE starts in Mid-2011.

Just because it has that wonderful LTE label affixed to it, that doesn’t make it compatible with any old LTE network. The device is capable of operating on 1700, 2100, and 700 MHz bands and even though Verizon’s network rollout will take place on the 700MHz stretch of spectrum, the Adrenaline won’t work on their slice- a fact that has been reiterated in a recent AT&T Mobility announcement. Verizon’s lay of the LTE land is located on the C Block spectrum while AT&T purchased space for LTE on the lower A and B blocks.  In order for users of the new device to switch freely between LTE providers, the two companies would first have to sign a roaming agreement.

This is not such a rare occurrence. Not many of us can freely transfer our wireless devices on one service to another on an immediate whim, but as LTE spreads across the developed world as a preferred mode of “4G“, some sort of roaming capability could be of huge benefit to customers. We’re not sure what the bonus would be for rival service providers in the same country, but there are obviously positive aspects to inking such deals between different carriers across foreign nations, as many carriers already do in exchanging both voice and data capabilities. When it comes to roaming Internet capabilities those using mobile hotspots like those offered by Novatel Wireless have a leg up, especially now that they’ve begun to introduce products for the LTE revolution and offer service across multiple continents.

We'd never accuse an accomplished manufacturer of quality wireless equipment– such as Nokia Siemens– of being unabashed braggarts; when you're in competition with other able producers of  network equipment for a burgeoning broadband wireless technology, it never hurts to continually trumpet the roster of converts to your top of the line product. Impressing the indecisive with an "everybody's doing it" sales pitch is a sure way to get a few wavering dominoes to topple over in your preferred direction.

Nokia Siemens surely has a few more ears perking up and eyes glued in their general direction after announcing they've successfully come to terms on an industry-leading 17 deals to provide new LTE equipment to telecom companies focused on the eventual roll out of the particular 4G standard. Among the companies drawn to the Finnish company's enticing package of network provisions are Teliasonera, T-Mobile and Telenor;  U.S. LTE go-getter Lightsquared has also thrown a handsome sum of $7 billion their way to build and run their network.

The competitive edge is clearly tilted towards Nokia Siemens in the quest to secure the most orders for for next-generation LTE networks. The most deals nailed down by chief competitors Huawei and Ericsson stands relatively far behind at less than seven; not exactly a reason to start looking over your shoulder.

If you’re planning on raising the curtain on a sexy new tech product, it’s probably a good idea to do so with an eye on those countries leading the way in the current wave of industry. It doesn’t hurt if those places are also some of the more populous on the face of the Earth. That way if your shiny, new toy makes a splash the demand is sure to go through the roof.

A confident Qualcomm, hoping to knock the technical socks off both India and China, took the occasion of the 2010 Shanghai Expo to demonstrate the effectiveness of its TDD-LTE chipset products. Brandishing their Mobile Data Modem™ (MDM™) MDM9200™ solution with 2×2 MIMO in the 2.3GHz band, supporting both TDD and FDD modes of LTE, they’ve confidently announced that these products are on track for 2011 release.

This is good news for the company’s interests in the aforementioned markets, as they have partnerships and projects of massive importance underway in both lands and are putting plenty of its eggs in those baskets.

Qualcomm has agreements with both Tulip Telecom and Global Holding Corp in India for a broadband wireless access joint venture that will utilize LTE technology. They’ve already secured key space within the population centers of Delhi, Mumbai, Haryana and Kerala on the 20MHz TDD spectrum in the 2.3 GHz band.

China Mobile has been a chief ally for the San Diego-based wireless telecommunications research and development company; As a proponent of the establishment of a TDD-LTE standard, they’ve played a huge role in working with Qualcomm on the chipset solutions.

With investments in two countries with a population of 2.5 billion between them, providing technology that could influence the establishment of TDD-LTE over WiMax as their national standard could prove to be a huge payoff for Qualcomm’s investment. Can you say domino effect?

Verizon’s Long Term Evolution (LTE) network was recently launched to the cities of Seattle and Boston. LTE, Verizon’s anticipated 4G network, has gained significant ground in terms of product availability and will continue to expand until it is fully operational in 2013, as Verizon promises. LTE is set to debut in 25 other cities, and will be made available to 100 million people by that year. What Verizon must concentrate on is their price management for the product. LTE is a faster network than its former 3G, it also has the capabilities to download and upload large amounts of data in a matter of minutes. LTE’s 4th generation network is, as its name implies, a more evolved network and therefore calls for a more evolved form of pricing. As Verizon calls for change, it seems evident that they’re turning towards a tiered-type data-pricing plan similar to their competitor, AT&T.

For Verizon, this change in pricing would be able to cut the cost of the new network significantly. Using a tiered-type pricing plan, Verizon would be able to charge users more for their data accessing needs rather than charging a base price for an unlimited plan as they do with the Blackberry phones. This change may be significant financially for the company as it’s using billions of dollars to produce the network. However, no decisions have been made or finalized, as of now.

The change to a tier-type pricing plan may lead to disadvantages and advantages depending on what type of data user a person is. It will undoubtedly save money for clients such as stay-at-home moms who have smart phones, just for the luxury of it. However, for the network users who use a large amount of data on a daily basis, their costs may raise as they use more and more data. This price differential per customer may lead to consumer disagreement and cause the company problems. Though nothing has been finalized, Verizon has taken all customer and company concerns into consideration and is currently working on a new pricing plan.

Huawei unveiled the world’s first triple-mode LTE modem. The E398 works with all three standards, LTE, UMTS and GSM.

The modem, supporting multiple mainstream frequencies, allows users to browse the internet using high speeds with LTE technology and can switch to the 3G technologies GSM and UMTS.

“The E398 is designed to address increasing requirements for operators to introduce commercial LTE services with flexible evolution roadmaps,” says James Chen, Managing Director of Huawei Nordic Office. “With the E398, the end-users don’t have to wait for the completion of the LTE network before they can enjoy 10 times higher speeds, as well as a continuous surfing experience. With rapid growth in the LTE market, Huawei will see the E398 modem as a start for future cooperation with partners all over the world.”

The device will be available in Sweden, where the world’s first LTE/GSM shared network is operated by Net4Mobility. Huawei was selected for the LTE roll out in Sweden where they provided backhaul and other solutions.

LG just announced that the Japanese government has certified its first LTE modem. This will be the first step in the country’s launch of an LTE network.

The modem builds on current 3G cell technology that improves data transmission up to 100Mbps. NTT DoCoMo plans to use the modem to test LTE, hoping to launch data services in Japan by the end of 2010.

LG supplies a great deal of 3G data modems to carriers and NTT DoCoMo is working with other equipment makers on data terminals, handsets and other devices. LG plans to demonstrate its first offerings at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona later in February.

Photo Courtesy of MillZero via Flickr