ATIS: Carriers mapping different routes toward LTE

“We have not finalized what we will deploy,” Kafka said. “Our earliest focus will on the software upgrades. There are quite a few improvements we get from that software. As for MIMO, we’re still watching that.”

As for the age of the AT&T network, Kafka said, there shouldn’t be any problems. While the initial HSPA network was built with Ericsson and Alcatel-Lucent base stations developed before the advent of HSPA+, AT&T has expanded its network in most markets with a second, and sometimes a third, HSPA carrier using newer base station gear, Kafka said. All of those later base stations are fully upgradable, Kafka said.

Of the three major operators adopting LTE, Verizon Wireless’s plans are the most aggressive, for the simple reason that the CDMA technology track doesn’t have the same interim 3G steps as HSPA, said Naseem Khan, principal member of the technical staff at Verizon. While Verizon Wireless is working with the CDMA standards body, the 3GPP2, to upgrade its CDMA packet core to support additional capabilities such as voice over its EV-DO Rev. A data networks, on the radio access side the next step is definitely LTE, Khan said. “The sooner we get there, the better it is,” he said.