Seeking to establish a beachhead in converged LTE FDD and TDD end-user devices, ZTE took the wraps off of a multi-standard USB modem and a Wi-Fi hotspot device. Both devices support LTE FDD, TD-LTE, the Chinese TD-SCDMA standard and EDGE.
The MF820S2 USB data modem delivers data speeds up to 68 Mbps over TD-LTE and up to 100 Mbps over the FDD flavor of LTE, said ZTE. Its MF91S portable "uFi" mobile hotspot includes a 2,300mAh battery, the vendor said.
Engadget noted that chipmaker Marvell announced its PXA1801 modem chipset serving both LTE modes last year, but it said ZTE's new products are apparently the first commercial available converged LTE products.
ZTE claims to hold 7 percent of all global LTE patents among vendors.
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The MF820S2 USB data modem delivers data speeds up to 68 Mbps over TD-LTE. |
The appearance of devices that support both modes of LTE is great news for TD-LTE boosters Clearwire (NASDAQ:CLWR) and China Mobile, which last month extended their TD-LTE development partnership by signing a non-binding memorandum of understanding aimed at supporting international TD-LTE roaming between China and the United States.
Clearwire intends to launch 5,000 TD-LTE cell sites by June 2013, enabling partner Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S), its largest wholesale customer and shareholder, to offload traffic in network hotspots from its LTE FDD network onto Clearwire's planned TD-LTE network.
China Mobile, meanwhile, is doggedly pursuing TD-LTE development. Chipmaker Sequans recently noted China Mobile's phase two trials of TD-LTE require dual-mode quad-band devices that support TD-SCDMA as well as TD-LTE in the 1.9, 2.3 and 2.6 GHz bands, plus the LTE FDD Band 7 spectrum that China Mobile recently acquired in Hong Kong.
China Mobile's Hong Kong LTE network, which operates in FDD mode, recently hosted the first bidirectional handover between LTE's FDD and TDD flavors on a live network.
Although it currently lags FDD-LTE in popularity, the TD-LTE variant will make up 25 percent of all LTE connections by 2016, as it gains more market acceptance, according to a new report from research firm Ovum.
For more:
- see this ZTE release
- see this Engadget article
Related articles:
Sequans watching costs during transition from WiMAX to LTE
Clearwire stays on track for TDD-LTE launch, defends financial position
Clearwire signs TD-LTE roaming pact with China Mobile
Carriers hold key to TD-LTE's out-of-the-gate performance
China Mobile expects 10 TD-LTE smartphones in 1H13, iPhone by 2014
Report: TD-LTE to power 25% of LTE connections by 2016