LTE TDD: network plans, commitments, trials, deployments

The Global TD-LTE Initiative (GTI) was launched at MWC 2011. Founding members were China Mobile, Bharti Airtel, Softbank Mobile, Vodafone, Clearwire, Aero2 and E-Plus. According to the press release “GTI will focus on creating value for stakeholders across the TD-LTE ecosystem to promote the fast development of the technology, promoting the convergence of LTE TDD and FDD modes to maximize the economies of scale, and sharing ecosystem with other TDD technology, e.g. eXtended Global Platform (XGP) to establish a growth focused business environment.”

The initiative aims to bring together leading industry partners to steer the TD-LTE ecosystem as a major standard in mobile broadband technology & drive the development of next generation mobile broadband networks.

Australia

WiMAX™ operator Vivid Wireless trialled LTE TDD in Sydney for 2 months from December 2010 in high demand, high density, inner city conditions. Commercial network launch is expected by 2012

China

China Mobile has now launched large-scale LTE TDD trials consisting of more than 1,000 base stations in Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Xiamen. Commercial services are expected in 2012

Denmark

Hutchison 3 has acquired 2.6 GHz TDD spectrum and plans to deploy a combined LTE FDD and TDD network France Orange has deployed a trial LTE network in Paris, initially with 10 MHz bandwidth supporting both FDD and TDD modes, upgraded to 20 MHz in May 2010. FDD-TDD co-existence tests are on-going

Germany

E-Plus is a member of the Global TD-LTE Initiative and is planning a LTE TDD field trial beginning in Q1 2011

India

RIL has committed to LTE TDD and is expected to commercially launch in 2011 Bharti Airtel is committed to LTE TDD and has joined the Global TD-LTE Initiative Qualcomm India LTE Venture is committed to LTE TDD Tikona Digital is committed to deploy LTE TDD

Ireland

LTE TDD testing was completed June 2010 Japan Softbank Mobile is considering LTE TDD in the 2.5 GHz spectrum it owns and has joined the Global TD-LTE Initiative

Malaysia

WiMAX™ operator Packet Networks (P1) is planning to deploy LTE TDD on existing WiMAX sites as an overlay network Malaysia WiMAX™ operator Asiaspace is exploring deployment of 2.3 GHz LTE TDD

Oman

Omantel showcased LTE TDD during the Salalah Tourism Festival in July 2010 Poland Aero2 is testing and deploying LTE TDD in 2.6 GHz in Aleksandrów Łódzki and Łódź; commercial launch is planned in 2011. Aero2 has joined the Global TD-LTE Initiative

Russia

WiMAX™ operator Yota is shifting to LTE Rostelecom plans to conduct LTE TDD trials in 2.3 – 2.4 GHz spectrum Sweden Hutchison 3 has acquired 2.6 GHz TDD spectrum from Intel and plans to deploy a combined LTE FDD and TDD network

Taiwan

CHT has also completed LTE tests on the high-speed rail system using TDD and FDD modes in 2.6GHz spectrum FarEasTone and China Mobile are co-operating on an LTE TDD trial in Taipei The National Chiao Tung University conducted a trial of LTE TDD in 2010 WiMAX operator Global Mobile Corp will seek approval to allow a switch to LTE TDD once WiMAX coverage hits 70% of the population

USA

Clearwire requested 3GPP to standardize LTE TDD for operation in the band 2496 – 2690 MHz and has released results of trials the company carried out on LTE TDD and FDD systems in Phoenix, Arizona. Clearwire is a member of the Global TD-LTE Initiative