LTE or not LTE? No easy answers until devices are readily available 
LTE can be a game changer, but only with strong handsets and the right spectrum
Published: 27 May, 2010
READ MORE: Spectrum | Handset | LTE
This week, AT&T hit out at T-Mobile USA for referring to its rapidly expanding HSPA+ network as '4G'. This can be seen as just the latest war of words between marketing departments, usually instigated by the one with the slower network - after all, no wireless technology available is actually 4G (gigabit when stationary etc) yet, and most consumers know a marketing euphemism when they see one. But the latest cellco spat did highlight a far more important issue - whether carriers are better off pushing their services closer to the 4G goal by upgrading existing networks, or adopting new technologies, which may deliver increased cost efficiency, but require huge upfront capex. And that dilemma is no longer just about enhancing 3G versus moving to LTE or WiMAX. It is even facing those operators that moved most quickly to new generation platforms - almost unbelievably, WiMAX carriers are now weighing the choices of enhancing their networks or moving to the other TDD standard, TD-LTE. Flexible base stations, cognitive handsets and shared IP foundations may make a technology switch simpler than in the past, but it is still a big decision, especially when it comes to replacing devices. And in the end, availability of devices will be the key deciding factor, not technological arguments or religion.
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