3GPP - 4G Americas

distances of several hundred meters. The trial demonstrated that future LTE networks can run on
existing base station sites.
LTE operating in both FDD and TDD modes on the same base station was first demonstrated in
January 2008. By using the same platform for both paired and unpaired spectrum, LTE provides
large economies of scale for operators.
In order to make LTE licensing as fair and reasonable as possible, in April 2008, a joint initiative
was announced by leading vendors Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, NEC, NextWave Wireless, Nokia,
Nokia Siemens Networks and Sony Ericsson to enhance the predictability and transparency of
IPR licensing costs in future 3GPP LTE/SAE technology. This initiative includes a commitment to
an IPR licensing framework that provides more predictable maximum aggregate IPR costs for
LTE technology and enables early adoption of this technology into products.
In April 2008, the first public announcements of LTE being demonstrated at high vehicular speeds
were announced with download speeds of 50 Mbps in a moving vehicle at 110 km/h. By August,
demonstrations of the first LTE mobility handover at high vehicular speeds were completed and
announced jointly by LTE infrastructure and device manufacturers.
T-Mobile announced successful live-air testing of an LTE trial network, in real-world operating
conditions with a leading vendor during September 2008. Data download rates of 170 Mbps and
upload rates of 50 Mbps were repeatedly demonstrated with terminals and devices, on a test
drive loop that included handoffs between multiple cells and sectors.
In 2008, the first commercially available LTE-capable platform was announced for mobile devices
that offered peak data downlink rates of up to 100 Mbps and uplink rates of up to 50 Mbps. The
first products based on the LTE platforms will be data devices such as laptop modems, USB
modems for notebooks and other small-form modems suitable for integration with other handset
platforms to create multi-mode devices. Since LTE supports handover and roaming to existing
mobile networks, all of these devices can have ubiquitous mobile broadband coverage from day
one.
The key elements of success for new technologies include the networks, the devices and the
applications. Infrastructure vendors are partnering with many leading application vendors to make
sure operators can fully exploit an LTE network’s potential to increase operator revenues.
As operators evolve their networks toward LTE and EPS architecture and consider software
solutions, they can build upon the capabilities of their proven HLR to incorporate carrier grade
RADIUS AAA for packet switched traffic, Diameter-based AAA and HSS support for the IMS core.
Inclusive functional suites take full advantage of the communications and media software
solutions to insure data-level coherence and behavioural consistency of the overall mobility
management solution across all access domains and technology generations. Linked with pangenerational
mobility and data management products, able to service multiple fixed and mobile
access domains, operators can leverage the CMS Policy Controller to ensure quality of service
and provide a fine degree of control for service offerings consistent with the Open Mobile Alliance
(OMA) and 3GPP Rel-8 specifications.
With a strategy to consolidate, converge and innovate, the architecture of SAE/EPS simplifies the
network and improves performance, communications and media software solutions; it supplies
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