The GSM Association, a worldwide trade body made up of GSM wireless carriers, told mobile news that 4G LTE wireless will reach 100 Mbps. They are apparently in a provocative mood too, because not only do they claim 4G LTE will reach 100 Mbps, but will do so before wireline FTTH networks do so commercially. Dan Warren, GSMA director of technology tells mobile news, “Tests show LTE can produce speeds up to 186 Mbps, but obviously you never get the top speed and they vary with distance from the base station and interference.” These comments were placed in the context of European and Asian markets, but if they are indeed more than just boastful claims, competitive implications will surely be felt worldwide. Wireline broadband carriers will have some time to perfect their competitive response. Even by the GSM Association’s eternally optimistic timelines, we likely won’t see these type speeds until 2012 in Europe, and even later in the U.S.
C’mon, fiber could do 100 Mbps today if we wanted to. The issue is not enough people are willing to pay for it, and more importantly, no one needs that kind of speed. I question why anyone needs 20 Mbps. They may think they need it – thanks to the marketing hype – but they are not doing anything that requires that much bandwidth.
when will it be available in Africa ( Angola ) ?