Qualcomm and Ericsson Demonstrate LTE TDD in India

Wireless Broadband Business Services Private Limited, one of Qualcomm Incorporated’s India LTE Venture entities, and Ericsson today successfully demonstrated LTE TDD mobility at 2.3 GHz in an outdoor environment in India. This demonstration is part of Qualcomm’s previously stated plan for its LTE Venture to accelerate the deployment of LTE in concert with 3G to drive the growth of mobile broadband in India.

The demonstration live streamed multiple high-definition video feeds to a mobile van in the Gurgaon area, showing a seamless hand off between base stations while maintaining session continuity. The demonstration was carried out by using Radio Access Network (RAN) and Evolved Packet Core (EPC) solutions from Ericsson, and USB dongles based on Qualcomm’s MDM9x00 multimode chipset that supports both LTE and 3G.

Qualcomm won one slot of 20 MHz TDD spectrum in India’s 2.3 GHz band covering the key telecom circles of Delhi, Mumbai, Haryana and Kerala in the BWA auction earlier this year. In July 2010, Qualcomm announced Global Holding Corporation and Tulip Telecom as initial shareholders for its India LTE Venture. The outdoor mobility demonstration is a major step towards Qualcomm’s earlier announcement that the venture would accelerate ecosystem readiness and deployment of LTE TDD. The venture will work towards the next milestones of 3G-LTE interoperability trials in 2011 and the commercial availability of LTE TDD infrastructure, chipsets and devices. Qualcomm continues to execute on its previously stated plan for the India LTE Venture and expects to attract one or more experienced 3G HSPA and/or EV-DO operator(s) for the construction of an LTE network in compliance with the Indian government’s roll-out requirements for the BWA spectrum, and then to exit the venture