Samsung to show LTE chip for 4G phones
updated 11:15 am EST, Thu February 12, 2009
Samsung LTE Chip Soon
Samsung this morning said it would introduce its first Long Term Evolution (LTE) chipset for 4G phones at Mobile World Congress. The hardware is also suited to computer networking adapters and will let supporting devices connect at LTE's full speeds, which reach 100Mbps or higher in peak conditions. The bandwidth is enough that Samsung will show a video on demand service and VoIP calling running from a prototype at next week's event.
The chip in question is built to be programmable and can be re-coded to support most changes in the LTE standard without needing a new chip. Samsung hasn't said when it expects phones to start including the chip, though the earliest LTE networks should be ready by early 2010 and will be the first opportunity for phones and cards using LTE to reach the market.
Bell, Telus and Verizon all plan to launch their own LTE-based 4G networks in that timeframe.
