LTE, WiMAX vie for ITU's love and affection

The International Telecommunication Union's wireless division is getting ready to seal the deal on formal approval of its own official standard for 4G communication, officially dubbed IMT-Advanced, and the usual suspects are in the running to take the top prize. The folks behind LTE are submitting a modified version, LTE-Advanced (get it? because the ITU standard is IMT-Advanced!), while the WiMAX camp will come storming in with 802.16m. Pundits are looking at the standardization process as a clutch opportunity for the two to make nice and combine into a unified 4G force, but considering their relatively divergent development paths thus far, it seems like a pretty remote possibility -- not to mention the metal-on-metal clashing of corporate egos that'd undoubtedly tie things up into oblivion.

[Via dailywireless.org]

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 25th 2008 10:51PM]

Is this going to be the Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD type-battle of the wireless industry?

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 25th 2008 11:47PM]

Now to decide which is Blu-Ray and which is HD-DVD.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 26th 2008 12:50AM]

In this round, perhaps, but in the long run it will be LTE and the further evolution of GSM cell technology. Yes, the same GSM tech that 82% of global cell subscribers use.

Verizon (alltel) is on board for LTE, as well as the current GSM carriers of TMoblile and At&t, keeping Sprint on it's heels with an inferior cell technology that will leave it begging manufacturers to build exclusive devices when the incentive for them to do so won't be there.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 28th 2008 12:39PM]

There was no BluRay vs HD-DVD war. Microsoft's plan was always to go disc-less. I am one of the millions of people who downloads HD movies off XBox 360 instead of driving to the movie store.

This already happened to music and now it's happening to movies. Think about it, which do you prefer a DVD of your favorite band or their MP3s? ...Most people would rather have the MP3.

Who wants a disc? ...Old people? Maybe. PS3 fanboys? Yes. ...Everybody else? We'd rather simple download then snail-mail or drive to rent a movie.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 8th 2008 4:32PM]

"There was no BluRay vs HD-DVD war."


Uh, yes, there most certainly was, Brien. You must have been taking a nap during the whole thing, LOL.

But the details of all that aren't the point here. The point here is the battle between LTE and WiMAX.

[rudiger Posted Jul 26th 2008 2:03AM]

Ah, 3G... The 2005-era technology that the USA gets to have today!

[rudiger Posted Jul 26th 2008 2:03AM]

Ah, 3G... The 2005-era technology that the USA gets to have today!

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 26th 2008 3:37AM]

I like how Wimax is an inferior tech when LTE isnt even finalized and no one has a clue what the final speeds will be. You could say that would be like LTE is inferior to UMB when there is now info to back that up.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 26th 2008 7:12PM]

We see how that worked out with Blu vs. HD-DVD... HD-DVD was the inferior tech while Blu wasn't, and still isn't, finalized. Support decided the winner in todays world.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 26th 2008 1:53PM]

So the iPhone's 3G is slower than Sprint's EV-DO Rev. A?

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 30th 2008 6:04PM]

Oh, hell yes. Several times over...

[Poot Posted Jul 27th 2008 1:14AM]

much, much slower.

sprint and verizon's rev. A speeds are unreal fast.

thats AT&T's fault more so than the technology's fault, though.