News

28 April 2009

 

LTE deployments to cluster in 2600MHz band

The majority of LTE (long-term evolution) deployments by wireless operators will use the 2600MHz band, creating ample new opportunities for terminal component vendors, according to the report ‘Complex Economics & Regulations Favor LTE At 2600MHz’ from the Strategy Analytics RF and Wireless Components (RFWC) service. A strong tranche of deployments will also occur at sub-1000MHz frequencies, including roll-outs by such prominent operators as Verizon in the USA, eventually accounting for one-third of deployments globally, reckons the market research firm.

LTE offers high-speed mobile broadband, up to five times faster than HSPA (high-speed packet access), at a lower cost per megabyte than 3G. As such, interest in LTE deployment is high among operators, says Strategy Analytics, despite the lack of a definitive answer as to what spectrum is even likely to be made available. In Western Europe, most wireless operators are focusing on the 2600MHz frequency, as this is largely clear of incumbent users and provides the greatest opportunity for swift and effective deployment.

“This drive to move swiftly toward LTE in multiple frequency bands creates opportunities for manufacturers,” says Stephen Entwistle, VP of the Strategy Analytics Strategic Technologies Practice. “For example, Verizon is looking at deploying LTE commercially at 700MHz by early 2010, which will require manufacturers of wireless data-cards, USB modems and embedded terminals to come up with new designs quickly,” he adds.

“To maximize performance for LTE and provide a better match to existing 2G and 3G cell sizes, we expect operators to install upgrade equipment such as remote radio heads (RRHs) to existing infrastructure, creating demand for new RF components,” says Christopher Taylor, director of Strategy Analytics’ RF and Wireless Components Strategies service. “For example, multi-band RRHs may create opportunities for gallium nitride RF power transistors, which can provide high performance and efficiency in compact, lightweight modules and subsystems, particularly above 2GHz.”

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