Motorola has been running LTE field trials for some time now, but on the eve of Mobile World Congress, the company has just announced a commercial LTE deployment with Zain in Saudi Arabia. Unlike Motorola’s TD-LTE work with China Mobile, the Zain network will be based on FDD LTE in the 2.6GHz frequency band. It will overlay the operator’s existing 3G network, with deployment beginning in the capital city of Riyadh starting in Q2.
This is not the first time Motorola and Zain have worked together. Over fifteen years, the companies have partnered in Nigeria, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon, and Jordan. It’s that relationship plus Motorola’s five-plus years of experience with OFDM-based technology (first with WiMAX, then moving into LTE) that sealed the deal.
Notable points:
- The LTE agreement with Zain includes radio access network (RAN) equipment, the Motorola LTE evolved packet core (EPC), devices, and integration services.
- The Saudi Arabia deployment will include Motorola technology based on third-generation WiMAX products that have been optimized over years of field use.
- Once deployed, commercial LTE networks around the world are expected to deliver throughput in excess of 100 Mbps and 15 ms roundtrip latency.
For more info on Motorola’s 4G technology, visit the Motorola 4G digital press kit.
Filed under: LTE, Motorola News, Networks, Telecom, Wireless
[...] yet for consumers, but the mobile industry is dashing ahead with enhancements, trials, and even early commercial deployments. As part of a series of news releases out of Mobile World Congress, Motorola today announced its [...]