Asia’s largest multi-market mobile operator SingTel plans to conduct a regional trial of LTE technology in Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore in partnership with its subsidiaries Optus, Globe Telecom and Telkomsel. The trials, which are scheduled to commence in the first half of 2010, will last six to nine months. “They will help SingTel and its associates and joint venture companies better understand LTE and determine the best approach and strategy for its adoption in their respective local markets,” noted a statement. SingTel boasts a mobile customer base of 273 million.
Six vendors – Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, Huawei, NEC, Nokia Siemens Networks and ZTE – will supply kit, the same six supplying equipment for Telefonica’s regional trials. Yesterday Japanese operator NTT Docomo announced it will launch commercial LTE services in December 2010. Another major Asian operator prepping a move to LTE is China Mobile.
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