Telstra to begin LTE trials in May

AUSTRALIA: Telstra will start Australian trials of Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology in May, to assess its capability and performance as the next generation evolution for the Next G network.

Michael Rocca, acting Chief Operations Officer, said the trials will help Telstra understand how the new technology can complement the Next G network - already Australia’s largest and fastest national mobile broadband network.

"LTE is globally acknowledged as the dominant next generation technology for mobile technology. It will be an important evolution for the Next G network in due course because it will give consumers access to higher speeds while giving Telstra the capacity to serve an increasing number of customers and support an even wider range of applications," Rocca said.

"We’re already achieving speeds and capacity that are among the best in the world and there’s plenty left in the tank, so while LTE will be an important evolution for the Next G™ network, it won’t be a revolution because HSPA+ is already setting the benchmark for our customers’ experience.

Telstra will spend the next three to six months testing the feasibility and technical capability of LTE for future commercialisation and will draw on three of the most prominent providers of the mobile technology industry for the tests, including its long standing network partner, Ericsson. Joining the testing ranks will be Huawei and Nokia Siemens Networks.

Jacqueline Hey, CEO, Ericsson Australia/NZ said, "Ericsson has partnered with Telstra for more than ten years and helped to build Next G into one of the world’s most advanced mobile networks.

"LTE isthe nextstage in theevolution of3GPPstandards and technology, anda natural extension of the Next G network,as Telstra increases capacity to handle the ever-growing demand for mobile broadband.Asthe leader in HSPA andLTE development, Ericsson looks forward to workingwith Telstra to showcase the benefits andpotential of LTE forbusiness,consumers, and operators."

The Telstra tests will seek to understand a variety of LTE’s attributes including radio access characteristics, coverage, performance, signal propagation and various enhanced packet core features. As a reflection of Telstra’s track record and commitment to serving rural Australia, the testing will comprise not only urban but also rural evaluations of LTE in addition to extensive laboratory trials.

Huawei CTO Peter Rossi said: "Huawei is excited to be working with Telstra in trialling next-generationLTE mobile services. Australian users clearly can’t get enough of mobile broadband, and LTE will be the next evolution in delivering high-speed mobile data,allowing operators to deliveracompletely new set of applications and content."

Kalevi Kostiainen, Head of Nokia Siemens Networks, Australia and New Zealand said: "Wireless technology has been advancing in great strides in recent years and LTE is the next big step beyond 3G. This willenhance theuser experience for many Australiansjust as the number ofwireless broadband users continues to grow. Nokia Siemens Networks are delighted to be working with Telstra in the LTE trial."

The results of the Australian tests will be complemented by the experience of Telstra’s subsidiary company CSL in Hong Kong, where ZTE equipment is being put through its paces. The collective information gathered through these trials will be used to guide planning and design of Telstra’s future Next G network evolution.