Verizon Wireless is getting a head-start on long-term evolution device development, long before its first commercial network is launched. The operator today published specifications for future LTE devices on its open developement Website and scheduled a Webcast for May 13 to answer questions and provide further details.
The specs themselves largely refer to hardware makers to the 3GPP’s release 8 standard for a frequency division duplexing (FDD) LTE system but provide detailed software and performance certification requirements. They also reveal that Verizon plans to launch its initial network over 10 MHz channel and that it will support multiple input-multiple output (MIMO) devices from the get-go.
“Hardware is the starting point, and Verizon Wireless is encouraging developers to get excited about designing innovative products and services the future requires,” VZW vice president of open development said in a statement. “We want to publish details to the development community as soon as possible to get us started on that journey.”
Verizon may be trying to get ahead of the curve, but there may be a limit to what developers can do with their head-start, considering LTE chipsets aren’t readily available yet. Deutsche Bank and several news reports have stated Qualcomm won’t begin shipping LTE chipsets until mid-2010. While several other chip makers are producing LTE chips also, Qualcomm will likely be the only supplier of dual-mode CDMA/LTE chips necessary for Verizon’s network.
