Telecom Italia has begun the world’s first pre-commercial LTE (Long Term Evolution) new technology trial as part of its ongoing development of a fourth-generation mobile ultra-broadband network.
The trial, which is being conducted in Turin with technology partner Huawei, uses 14 new LTE radio stations around the centre of town which are perfectly integrated into the existing mobile infrastructure. These stations provide bandwidth in excess of 140Mit/s for each cell, and can handle three high bandwidth voice/data connections simultaneously.
This trial underscores Telecom Italia’s status as a technology innovation leader, and confirms the company’s commitment to a rolling upgrade of its networks in support of next-generation services over landlines and mobile.
Franco Bernabè, CEO of Telecom Italia, said: “The journey towards fixed and mobile ultra-broadband takes another step forwards. With leading-edge HSDPA technology deployed right now and LTE in the future, high speed services will become increasingly common on mobile phones and usb modems, offering access to professional services such as video conferencing and remote office access, and personal services such as video gaming and video chat.”