If the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) receives the broadband stimulus dollars that they are hoping for, a LTE network will be deployed across 15,120 square miles of desert in the American Southwest.

The NTUA asked for a $46 million grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and is hoping to soon find out whether or not they have been approved.

The plan involves the deployment of a 550 mile fiber backbone and microwave links to connect 30,000 households in the Navajo Nation, encompassing parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. 

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A Verizon spokesman recently told the Wall Street Journal that there will be  LTE enabled phone by the middle of 2011. The executive also stated that LTE will be launched in some U.S. markets by the end of 2010.

T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon chose LTE deployments over WIMAX, which came first. Verizon leads the way in deploying potential networks.

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ANADIGICS just unveiled a new set of multi-mode, high-performance power amplifiers designed for wireless datacards and handsets for the rapidly growing 4G LTE and advanced HSPA+ technologies. 

Built with fourth generation ANADIGICS’ patented HELP (High-Efficiency-At-Low-Power) technology, these amplifiers offer top-notch performance for customers who are making USB modules and new generation handsets based on the LTE standard.

Prasanth Perugupalli, Director of Wireless RF Products Line at ANADIGICS said, “We are proud to continue driving innovation in power amplifier technology for mobile applications as the industry expands beyond WCDMA toward LTE for 4G applications. With the HELP4 family, we have reduced the average current consumption by an impressive 30% over previous generation PAs. We also continue to lead the industry in terms of performance in current savings at the frequently used low power level handsets.”

LTE appears to be on track to become one of the most dominant 4G technologies for mobile broadband in the next ten years and by 2015, it is expected that LTE will cover up to 50% of all mobile subscriberes in the United States and Western Europe.

The Belgian Institute for Post and Telecommunications granted a license to Telenet to begin LTE testing. Telenet will conduct these tests between May and September. The network will be located over the city of Mechelen and the highway that cuts between Mechelen North and Mechelen South.

“‘3G is nice, but if you are a serious company like us you need to go for LTE,”said  Telenet CEO Duco Sickinghe. “We really believe that if LTE works, it is the best way forward.”

The test network will bring high speed wireless broadband to mobile Belgians. The coverage area includes a major thorough fair meaning that LTE can be tested inside vehicles including an LTE car. The devices used aren’t currently available, but Telenet will hand out the necessary equipment to stakeholders.

The Belgian government is believed to auction off spectrum space for 4G technology later this year.

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After testing and preparing its 4G network in recent months, Verizon finally offered some concrete numbers based on its latest testing.

The LTE network speeds peak at around 40-50 Mbps for downloads and 20-25 Mbps for uploads, not reaching the 100 Mbps that 4G is expected to offer. On an average day, Verizon has been quoted saying average speeds on a populated network would run at around 5-12 Mbps for downloads and 2-5 Mbps for uploads.

To put it in perspective, Sprint’s WiMAX network offers average speeds of 3-6 Mbps for download in comparison to 600 Kbps to 1.4 Mbps on Sprint’s 3G network.

WiMAX has already been launched by Sprint in 27 markets and Verizon plans to launch its LTE network in 25 to 30 markets nationwide later in 2010. Verizon Wireless senior vice president Tony Melone recently said that Verizon plans to double its 4G footprint within 15 months of launch and to fill out its entire 3G coverage area with 4G by the end of 2013. 

Telefonica, o2, Nokia Siemens Networks will all team to test LTE in Slovakia. The test will occur in the Banska Bystrica region on the 2.6 GHz band.

Telefonica O2 will test LTE technology in Slovakia in cooperation with Nokia Siemens Networks. The tests will be performed in 2010 in the region of Banska Bystrica based on assigned frequencies in the 2.6 GHz band. The company is considering additional testing locations. With this initiative, Telefonica O2 Slovakia joined the other Telefonica Group companies involved in testing LTE networks. Telefonica O2 and Nokia Siemens Networks made a live demonstration of the LTE-based mobile broadband connections at MWC 2010 in Barcelona.

Verizon Wireless‘ CTO, Tony Melone recently stated that it will double the number of LTE markets to between 50-60. It will occur 15 months after initial launch, and its entire 3G footprint will be LTE capable by the end of 2013.

Melone also stated that Verizon might use 3G for voice and 4G for data because of the concern over the release date of voice over LTE will which won’t be until 2011. He also stated that LTE handsets will be ready before most people had predicted. LTE will provide average data speeds of 5-12 Mbps for download and 2-5 Mbps for upload.

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Optimus contracted ZTE to use its software defined radio technology to upgrade its existing wireless network, along with creating a path towards LTE over time in Portugal.

Optimus will replace its mobile infrastructure in four regions of central Portugal and if the results are satisfactory, it will expand the initiative to other reas and start to evolve to LTE. It allows ZTE to showcase its SDR platform. SDR allows flexible transition to LTE through SDR base stations because it overlays the current GSM network.  LTE works on 700Mhz frequency, requiring new radios at each tower site.

It helps with the evolution and implementation towards LTE. Verizon and AT&T are leading the way and chip makers are making dual WiMax/LTE processors.It is ZTE’s second contract to help build out a network, after agreeing to roll out a network in Hungary.

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China Mobile’s TD-LTE test network reached a record-high download speed of 80 Mbps.

Deployed to support the Expo 2010 to be opened in Shanghai in May, the TD-LTE test network uses Alcatel-Lucent’s end-to-end LTE solutions.

“Visitors to the Expo will be able to enjoy ultra-speed Internet access and HD multimedia presentations. The test network will help popularize and commercialize the TD-LTE technology in the world,” said Hua Luoxin who is in charge of Alcatel-Lucent’s Chinese business.

LTE is branded 4G as a next generation cellular wireless standard but is also a successor to 3G standard and can support both paired spectrum and unpaired spectrum at the same time.

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The signing of a contract with Telenor Denmark for the rollout of a mobile backhaul commercial network was announced by Chinese telecoms vendor Huawei Technologies.

Huawei and Telenor Denmark have already begun deployment with hopes of completion later in 2010. Deployment of the IEEE 1588v2 standard should allow for Telenor to modernize the network to LTE technology. Telenor has been Denmark’s second largest mobile operator behind Mobile Nordic since its launch in 1992.

CTO of Telenor Denmark, Lars Rude Andersen said, “We are very glad to work with Huawei in the Mobile Backhaul field. We are confident in Huawei’s advanced PTN solution, which will enable our customers to enjoy faster and higher quality mobile services from Telenor.”

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