First WiMAX handset launched, again
But even Clearwire reckons LTE is the future
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Americans will get a 4G handset in the summer from HTC and operating over WiMAX, though even America's WiMAX operator admits that LTE is technology of the future.
The handset is called the EVO, rather than "supersonic" as was rumoured, but the specs remain the same as it sports Android OS running on Qualcomm's Snapdragon processor, the EVO is also the first 4G telephone operable in America, for as long as Sprint continues to run its WiMAX network.
"The architecture of our network is designed to be able to add on LTE should we need to," Bill Morrow, CEO of Sprint joint venture Clearwire told the CTIA trade show in Las Vegas. "We consider ourselves technology agnostic."
Hardly a ringing endorsement for the WiMAX standard. Just to underline the options, Morrow spelled it out: "We can sunset one technology going forward if we need to in the future."
The decision to go with WiMAX was all about speed - not speed of the network, but speed to market as Sprint's CEO explained: "LTE will most likely be the larger of the two 4G standards, but for us, we couldn't wait."
Clearwire is probably right in that deploying LTE won't be that much of a challenge - once one has licensed spectrum, hired locations and built base stations, the cost of the technology isn't such a big deal. And Clearwire is still expanding its WiMAX network while noting that every base station built could be used for LTE if necessary.
At CTIA there's much talk of interoperable handsets supporting both LTE and WiMAX, though Computerworld reports that AT&T was pretty dismissive of the idea, as well it might be. The rest of the world isn't interested in interoperable 4G, and even America can't offer the economies of scale needed to make that happen.
But at least WiMAX networks now have a handset - two if you count the last "world's first WiMAX handset" which was launched by HTC back in 2008. That's two more than the LTE networks which are limited to data services while the operators sort out the minor detail of how to carry phone calls over their 4G phone network. ®
COMMENTS
Indeed
No categorically LTE is not 4G - the give away is in the name (or even more clearly its full name on the radio access - where the "G" usually comes from) - if you think of 3G, then HS is 3.5 so from there it could be construed that LTE is 3.75 - but to be honest the distinctions are pretty pointless anyway and its just media sound bites carried way past there usefulness.
As yet I know of no official WiMAX deployments in the UK - BT I think did some testing in Milton Keynes a while back. This may change as a result of the spectrum auctions later this year though - watch this space (sorry bad pun).
All voice in LTE will be VoIP - but I get what your saying - I think Telia use Ericsson so by end of this year they would have a fully workable VoIP on the E-PC as the IMS systems are resolved.
Note how all they said was that...
...LTE networks are currently limited to data-only traffic. Or are you aware of hem carrying voice traffic over dongles as well (apart from VoIP, of course)?
Is LTE 4G or 3.9G?
Ok as far as I understood it LTE didn't fully comply with the 4G standard and is therefore still known as a 3.9G technology.
Having recently spoke to Wraycastle and people at Vodaphone it looks like the UK will not be adopting WiMAX at any time in the near future and are going to adopt LTE.
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