AT&T backs LTE for 4G network

AT&T backs LTE for 4G network

AT&T, the world's largest telecoms group, yesterday threw its weight behind the emerging Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology standard as the basis for its next generation 4G wireless network rather than rival technologies such as WiMAX and UMB.

The announcement yesterday by Ralph de la Vega, president and chief executive of AT&T's wireless unit, means that the two largest US wireless carriers, AT&T and Verizon Wireless, the joint venture between Verizon Communications and Britain's Vodafone, are both now committed to LTE.

LTE is backed by most of the leading wireless equipment infrastructure makers, including Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, Nokia, Nokia Siemens Networks and Nortel.

AT&T had already hinted last year that it would probably choose LTE rather than rival technologies such as WiMAX, the wireless broadband technology backed by a consortium led by Intel, Motorola and others, and UMB (Ultra Mobile Broadband) backed by Qualcomm, the US wireless chip developer.

AT&T's commitment to the LTE standard - a natural extension of the GSM technology that underpins the majority of the world's mobiles networks - came as it gave details of its 2008 wireless network plans. These include a major expansion of its 3G network to enable it to cover nearly 350 leading US markets by the end of 2008.