td-lte

ZTE says it will have TD-LTE devices by the end of year

Chinese handset maker ZTE plans to build LTE devices with a standard used in China and elsewhere around the world, according to Reuters.

The news service reported today that Japan's Softbank may be among its first customers. ZTE is supposedly talking to Softbank for a potential order of TD-LTE devices.

Long Term Evolution, or LTE, technology is the fourth-generation wireless technology that wireless providers around the world are using to bring faster networks and more capacity to their subscribers. There are two main types of LTE technologies: TD-LTE, or time division LTE; and FDD-LTE, or frequency division duplex LTE. … Read more

China may hold back on 4G for another few years, report says

China may hold back on moving into 4G LTE even as the U.S. carriers race ahead to roll out next-generation networks.

The Chinese government is looking to hold back on granting the licenses required for its own carriers to deploy 4G LTE, according to a report from PC World, which cited local state-owned TV. The government said it may wait two to three years before granting the licenses, citing a need by carriers to expand the current 3G network equipment, as well as to wait for broader support for a variant of LTE called TD-LTE.

A delay could have … Read more

Is Apple including 4G TD-LTE for a China Mobile iPhone 5?

According to China Mobile's chairman, Wang Jianzhou, a new 4G TD-LTE-compatible iPhone has already been discussed with Apple and is moving forward. Bloomberg reports the vague confirmation from Jianzhou:

"China Mobile and Apple hope to find a solution for close collaboration. We discussed this issue with Apple. We hope Apple will produce a new iPhone with TD-LTE. We have already got a positive answer from Apple."

Of course this quote is pretty broad, but it appears as though Jianzhou has confirmed that Apple is working with China Mobile to produce a TD-LTE iPhone. It is unknown whether … Read more

Clearwire strikes 4G development alliance with China Mobile

Clearwire enlisted some big help in its effort to switch to another flavor of 4G technology.

The upstart high-speed wireless provider said today that it had formed a partnership with China Mobile to work together to develop products and equipment using a standard of 4G technology called TD-LTE, which is incompatible with what the other major U.S. carriers are using.

By partnering with China Mobile, Clearwire takes advantage of the breadth and scale of the Chinese company, which is the world's largest carrier with more than 700 million subscribers. The goal is to set common standards and product … Read more

A beginner's guide to telecom jargon, part 4

The mobile world moves at a breakneck pace, and it's difficult to keep up--even without the technical jargon most industry insiders throw around. And they do love to toss those terms about.

This week, I continue with the techno-babble trend with a few more network terms for 4G. (Who doesn't love those?)

So for some light reading, here are a few terms telecom experts throw around with the assumption that everyone understands them.

TD-LTE: Just when you thought there possibly couldn't be anymore 4G terms, Clearwire pops up and decides to switch to a technology that hasn'… Read more

Clearwire: We're not dumping WiMax

Clearwire's move to add a 4G LTE network doesn't mean it's going to be giving up on its current WiMax standard, according to Chief Technology Officer John Saw.

"Expanding into more markets is not off the table," Saw said in an interview with CNET today. "We will continue to add capacity where it's needed most."

Clearwire's announcement yesterday that it would carry a second wireless network was a logical move as the rest of the industry moves to LTE, which offers higher speeds and a larger pool of vendors that can … Read more