nTelos exploring LTE

Long-term evolution (LTE) is spreading far down into the ranks of U.S. operators as ever-smaller regional providers begin exploring the next-generation mobile broadband technology. The latest is nTelos Wireless (NASDAQ:NTLS), a CDMA operator in the mid-Atlantic and southeast, which announced today it has successfully completed an LTE field trial in near its headquarters in Waynesboro, Virginia.

nTelos used Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE:ALU) base stations, IP routers and evolved packet core equipment for the trial, but revealed few other details about its LTE plans (Briefing Room: Alcatel-Lucent press release).

“This trial enables us to make informed decisions on how to smoothly evolve our network and incorporate 4G LTE into the existing infrastructure, particularly in terms of end-user performance, throughput, latency and Quality of Experience,” nTelos Senior Vice President of Wireless Engineering and Operations Bobby McAvoy said in a statement. “We decided to team with Alcatel-Lucent on the trial because of our longstanding relationship and proven track record in the area of CDMA as well as their expertise and experience in LTE.”

Though the operator didn’t specify which spectrum it is using for the trial, nTelos won Advanced Wireless Service (AWS) spectrum in the 2006 auctions, covering key markets in Virginia, including the Charlottesville license that encompasses Waynesboro. In all, those licenses cover 1.37 million pops in several key Virginia markets and would give the nTelos the bandwidth necessary to deploy a robust LTE network using a 10-MHz-by-10 MHz carrier—the same size as Verizon Wireless’ (NYSE:VZ, NYSE:VOD) LTE network.

Currently nTelos provides roaming services over its CDMA 1X and EV-DO networks for Sprint (NYSE:S), but an LTE network at AWS could open the possibility for much bigger roaming deals. Verizon Wireless currently uses 700 MHz for LTE but plans to expand into the AWS bands. AT&T (NYSE:T) also plans to use both AWS and 700 MHz, but if it gains approval for its purchase of T-Mobile (NYSE:DT) it will make AWS its primary mobile broadband band, deploying a 20 MHz-by-20 MHz carrier. MetroPCS (NYSE:PCS) also uses AWS for LTE, though its carrier sizes are much smaller.