LTE to become mainstream technology for future wireless communications, says NSN executive

The Long Term Evolution (LTE) is likely to become the mainstream next-generation wireless telecommunications format as the standard can be used as an upgrade path from GSM/EDGE, WCDMA/HSPA, CDMA and TD-SCDMA technologies, according to Juergen Schindler, vice president of LTE Business Development at Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN), speaking in Taipei recently.
The announcement that US-based wireless carrier Verizon Wireless plans to adopt LTE is an important indicator for the deployment of the technology, said Schindler, noting that Qualcomm's decision to join the LTE/SAE (system architecture evolution) Trial Initiative (LSTI) is also positive for the further development of the standard.
LTE will be an affordable solution for wireless carriers due to its interoperability with WCDMA/HSPA networks. The technology has the benefit of allowing carriers to utilize their current infrastructure, base stations, core networks and spectra without requiring additional investment, Schindler pointed out.
In addition, the unit traffic cost of LTE will be only half of that required for HSPA and 25% that of 3G, making LTE technology a cost-effective solution for carriers, Schindler stated, predicting that LTE will dominate about 90% of the future wireless access market.