Industry bodies have this week voiced their support for the recent approval of LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology specifications. The standard’s radio access network Requirements and Architectural documentation was agreed last month by the 3GPP, and all remaining work – focused on the core network – is expected to be completed this year. LTE is intended to enable data rates many times faster than the high-speed mobile broadband connectivity already offered by today’s HSPA networks, and will also provide greater network capacity for operators. An all-IP next-generation mobile standard, LTE is a candidate technology for next-generation mobile systems. Commercial deployments of LTE technology are expected from 2010. “The work of the LTE project in 3GPP has defined a technology where significantly improved spectral efficiency enables a further step-change in data rates achievable by mobile networks,” said Alex Sinclair, CTO of the GSMA. “HSPA has shown that the market for Mobile Broadband exists today and, in completing work on LTE, 3GPP has provided a clear path forward for existing and new-entrant operators to meet future demand for higher Mobile Broadband data rates.”

“With the recent approval of LTE technology specifications by… 3GPP, LTE is on target and continuing its momentum as the next phase of technology development for the GSM family of technologies,” noted a statement from 3G Americas. “With this recent approval, the LTE Terrestrial Radio Access Network technology specification will be under change control and included in the forthcoming 3GPP Release 8,” added the group’s President, Chris Pearson. Meanwhile the President of the Global mobile Suppliers Association, Alan Hadden, noted that “LTE is firmly on track and will deliver competitive capacity and data throughput enhancements to build on the huge momentum and market success of mobile broadband services and applications enabled today by WCDMA-HSPA systems.”