World's first 4G wireless network launched

As Indian operators discuss the delay and delivery of 3G, and also contemplate the time in which the country will move to LTE, world's first 4G wireless network has already been launched. TeliaSonera became the first carrier in the world to launch commercial LTE services, unveiling the new 4G networks simultaneously in Oslo and Stockholm.

Michael Backstrom, vice president for market unit of Nordic Baltic, Ericsson in an exclusive interview with VOICE&DATA, had predicted the deadline for the launch of LTE in early 2010. However, it has come up with the launch, well ahead of its time. Backstrom has also predicted that the launch in other cities will depend on the response that the service receives in Stockholm. TeliaSonera had selected Samsung as its 4G device provider in October, 2009. The company promised wireless download speeds of up to 100 megabits per second. The service will bring a faster speed of about ten times than the 3G services running currently.

TeliaSonera has completed its deployment in both the markets with vendors such as Huawei in Norway and Ericsson in Sweden. This service will provide a boost to the major data applications like online gaming and web conferencing.

The company is still weighing bids for other LTE contracts. Lars Klasson, vice president, confirmed the same and said, “TeliaSonera continues the evaluation of suppliers to deliver LTE networks in the Nordic and Baltic countries.”

Ericsson's president and CEO, Carl Henric Svanberg described the LTE launch as “the new era of mobile broadband. With LTE, and so-called 4G, your mobile broadband experience is moving to unequaled levels.” Stockholm is covered by Ericsson LTE network, with customers using Samsung LTE dongles to access the service. It is worth mentioning that the Samsung LTE dongle doesn't work on 3G and HSDPA networks, so there are yet some challenges to overcome.

In Oslo, Huawei delivered both network infrastructure and services to TeliaSonera, such as access network, core network, operation support system, and network planning and optimization. The company has also completed a successful live trial of LTE in the UK with Telefónica O2.

Operators like Verizon in the US and Japan's NTT DOCOMO, are also preparing to launch 4G networks.

The commercial availability will give a headstart to the next level of technologies in the US. Initially, the pricing of LTE services has been kept low so as to promote them in the cities, where it has been launched.