China Mobile to back LTE as 4G standard?

In what seems to be an enormous shift in the race for a 4G wireless standard, China Mobile on Wednesday is expected to show its support for the LTE, or Long Term Evolution, 4G wireless technology. Should this prove to be true, LTE will have accrued support from China Mobile, Vodafone, Verizon, and, peripherally, AT&T, according to Yahoo News. Arun Sarin, CEO for Vodafone, expects that WiMax – one of LTE's competing standards – will be rolled in to the LTE standard, as the UK-based company deploys its 4G networks in 2010.

Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo says that while he sees LTE as being the main 4G standard, WiMax should be considered as more than just a niche alternative to LTE. He says that the addition of WiMax to the list of standards would diversify 4G technology that would be used by carriers.

Late last year, Verizon announced its support for LTE, citing that the move to the 4G standard would most likely phase out its existing EVDO and CDMA networks. Verizon also said that it would share access to the network with industry giant AT&T.

Filed under: industry
Other story tags: AT&T, Verizon, WiMAX, Vodafone, 4G, LTE, China Mobile