Network planning and optimisation consultancy Aircom today claimed that the cost of building a LTE network for a tier-one US operator could cost up to US$1.78 billion in the first year. The cost would be around US$880 million for a major operator in a large European country like Germany, and US$750 million in the UK, Aircom said, adding the costs would be somewhat smaller in most parts of the world at first. The company also said that building LTE networks will be too costly for many operators and they will be forced to find new means, like network sharing, to cut costs.