LTE Upgrade Strategies
3GPP Operators' Business Case for Early LTE
The "perfect storm"of mobile broadband is brewing and gaining momentum from widespread 3.5G deployments, flat rate data tariffs, and availability of internet friendly mobiles. Cellular operators worldwide are reporting significant growth of broadband traffic on their mobile data networks, with some experiencing triple digit year-on-year growth. When these factors are combined with the inevitable drive toward mass market adoption of mobile broadband, the result is an explosion of data traffic that is not directly proportional to the related growth in revenue. Some operators will exhaust the capacity of their legacy networks and spectrum during the 2009 - 2012 timeframe.
The 3.5G HSPA network deployments have been instrumental to the widespread adoption of mobile broadband internet access. Having achieved this remarkable success, operators are now considering the upgrade paths needed to meet the growing demand for well performing networks. Continued success demands increasing capacity for mass market consumers to have a great mobile broadband experience whenever, wherever, and under any conditions.
The technology advances incorporated in LTE will deliver this increased network capacity and will be instrumental in achieving affordable wireless broadband for the mass market. With legacy technologies nearing capacity limits, the large scale commercialization of LTE in 2010 is eagerly anticipated by the most demanding customers. The significant improvement in spectral efficiency and the resulting sector throughput of LTE will help operators minimize the need for additional cell sites and result in a much improved Total Cost of Ownership. This is a key aspect to reaching the unserved mass market with a lower cost per bit.
An operator choosing an early deployment of LTE can exercise a considerable competitive advantage with the economic benefits of LTE and leverage that advantage to strengthen its market position.
Find out more by downloading Motorola's Next Generation Upgrade Strategy white paper.