LTE continues world tour: China Mobile joins Vodafone, Verizon Wireless in LTE trials

China Mobile said it will join Vodafone Group plc and Verizon Wireless in an ongoing trial of LTE technology.
The world’s largest mobile operator said the three-way operator trials will focus on LTE FDD, the Frequency Division Duplex version of the technology, for use with paired spectrum allocations and TD (Time Division Duplex)-LTE. The operators hope to explore the performance of LTE with different spectrum types as a potential next-generation mobile technology.
“China Mobile is happy to work with Vodafone and Verizon Wireless to explore TD-LTE together with FDD LTE as a high-performance and low-cost evolution option from our current networks,” said China Mobile VP Sha Yuejia. “This will help to build an ecosystem that could result in a win-win situation for the whole industry to meet the growing customer demand for wireless broadband.”
The trials – which include three powerhouse network operators – underscore the momentum LTE is gaining as a leading 4G technology possibility vs. WiMAX and Ultra Mobile Broadband. Alcatel-Lucent this week announced a joint venture with Japan’s NEC to focus on LTE, and AT&T Mobility is stepping up its 3G buildout as “the next step in the evolution” toward LTE.”