Verizon and Vodafone plan to harmonize their mobile networks usin...
Verizon and Vodafone plan to harmonize their mobile networks using Long Term Evolution technology, Verizon said Thursday. LTE, a WiMAX rival developed by the Third Generation Partnership Project standards body, will let Verizon Wireless’ parents, Verizon and Vodafone, “adopt…
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a common access platform with true global scale and compatibility with existing technologies of both companies,” Verizon said. “The prospect of moving towards a common platform with Verizon Wireless is an attractive long-term goal,” said Vodafone Global Chief Technology Officer Steve Pusey. Verizon’s choice of LTE “is driven by our vision of pervasive wireless Internet connectivity and mobility,” said chief technology officer Richard Lynch. Verizon and Vodafone plan to test LTE in 2008. Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia-Siemens, Nortel and “others in the world community” will supply trial devices and equipment, Verizon said. Meanwhile, discussions with device makers “have expanded beyond traditional suppliers such as LG, Samsung, Motorola, Nokia and Sony Ericsson” to consumer electronics companies planning embedded wireless functionality in future products, it said. Verizon’s choice of LTE is “no surprise,” since Vodafone “signaled this selection earlier,” said Current Analysis’s William Ho. Verizon is “managing the future on its own terms” as the 700 MHz auction approaches, he said, and the news “complements” the open network effort announced this week (CD Nov 28 p2). The news is “a blow for Qualcomm,” which is pushing UMB technology for next-gen networks, he said.