Companies on 4G

Each of the 4G technologies used to have a head supporter, with Intel supporting WiMAX, Ericsson touting LTE and Qualcomm preferring UMB.

"Now the destination of LTE has been decided and everyone here knows the result - LTE is the king," said a ZTE official during the Mobile World Congress 2008 held in Barcelona.

During the world's top industry fair, all major equipment makers Alcatel-Lucent, Nokia-Siemens, Ericsson, ZTE and Huawei, all displayed LTE solutions. Qualcomm also displayed both UMB and LTE for the first time.

Alcatel-Lucent and NEC announced they would form a joint venture on LTE. But both sides declined to reveal financial details.

The top officials Patricia Russo, chief executive of Alcatel-Lucent, and NEC's President Kaoru Yano attended the press conference.

"This is a smart pairing that will help accelerate the availability of LTE by capitalizing on early market implementations that we expect to occur in Japan and North America," said Philip Marshall, who heads up technology research at Yankee Group, a US-based research firm.

Japan-based NTT DoCoMo and US-based Verizon Wireless are expected to initiate a LTE trial program. Even China Mobile aims to test LTE in future, according to Wang Jianzhou, China Mobile's chairman.

"When Qualcomm lost US-based clients like Verizon in its homeland, we know LTE has huge advantage (over UMB)," said Gartner's Shen.

4G in China

China's National Development and Reform Commission has allocated funds for the development of 4G, said the bureau's Website last week.

The development of 4G telecom network equipment, chips and components for broadband, and Internet applications will receive primary financing. The NDRC did not say how much funds will be allocated, but added that state-owned companies and research agencies could apply for funding.

(Shanghai Daily February 29, 2008)