A Clever Spell

The Spanish owner of O2, Telefnica, has conducted tests at its Madrid facility this week, demonstrating real life capabilities of 4G LTE. The tests have yielded download speeds of up to 140 Mb, and included image and heavy data transfers, a video conference, a VoIP call and a video call over a prototype LTE network.

Through the tests, Telefnica has reaffirmed its market leadership and proved that it is at the leading edge of LTE development. The company also plans to work out the technological requirements of 4G LTE using the data attained from the tests.

LTE is seen by many telecom industry observers as having the potential to mark the end of the current technologies used in mobile broadband. It is widely believed that the technology will support speeds up to 10 times faster than those offered by the current networks.

Despite the bright possibilities, it is uncertain when practical use of 4G LTE will be seen. Telefnica insists that its tests show that such applications are in the offing, but no one is betting on how long it will take.

A recent GMSA report states that 26 service providers are considering commencement of LTE operations early next year, but this excludes any UK providers. It could mean that there is no immediate prospect of a UK LTE network, but as with most new technologies, it is not likely to take a long time for it to be available in the UK. For what is available in the UK right now, take a look at Mobile Broadband Genie, for laptop deals, news and bang on up to date info on everything that’s mobile broadband.