Clearwire announces 4G LTE trials

US-based WiMAX specialist Clearwire, whose networks now cover 51 million people in 44 cities across the US, has announced plans to conduct Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology trials this autumn. Clearwire expects the trials to ‘yield unmatched wireless speeds in the US’ and aims to test multiple co-existence scenarios between LTE and WiMAX radio technologies. Clearwire plans to conduct the tests in collaboration with Huawei Technologies, using the same spectrum band and flexible base station platform that Clearwire currently utilises in the US. Clearwire will also be testing LTE on Samsung Electronics’ common base station platform, which it currently uses for its mobile WiMAX deployments. During the trials, Clearwire will collaborate with Beceem, and other partners, to determine the best methods for enabling end-user devices to take advantage of a potential multi-mode WiMAX/LTE network. Other participating vendors are expected to be named at a later date. Clearwire has hinted that a number of large wireless operators are also expected to participate on these tests, referencing the global dominance of the 2.5GHz – 2.6GHz spectrum band. The tests will be begin this autumn in Phoenix, Arizona, and continue throughout early 2011.