LTE to improve business communication

BANGALORE, INDIA: Business communication in India is expected to take quantum leap with the adoption of LTE. While speaking during the inaugural session of LTE India 2013- Fifth International Conference at New Delhi, Rajan S. Mathews, director general, Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) indicated that this is possible if the Government of India makes the required spectrum available with immediate effect instead of releasing it in small portions.

"Government policy should encourage optimisation of spectrum availability among operators, which is the aim of the National Telecom Policy," Mathews.

Both in India and globally more and more operators are making 'aggressive' plans to launch LTE, according to Adrian Scrase, head, Mobile Competence Centre of 3GPP. LTE release 10 was the latest in telecom development with wide range of applications. It would also help in emergence of indigenous manufacture of equipment and devices.

With LTE 'now India is with global technology trend', according to Ranjan Sharma, director (Technical) ZTE India. Describing it as 'extremely efficient tool', Sharma described how it would take business communication a quantum leap to enable real time workforce collaboration.

He listed the benefits as higher speeds, low latency, more capacity, a whole range of new services, product differentiation, faster downloads and simpler networks. Key advantages included lower capital and operational investments, lifting up ecosystem with those being set up in advanced countries and with development expectations.

"It is expected that not only business applications but rural and machine to machine applications would push business growth in wireless broadband. Diverse applications and better user experience will include smart offices, e-learning, e-health and social networking. Also LTE would include options like retail vending machines, smart energy grid and metering besides other industrial processes.

Intensive use of LTE would take medical and health services to a new level of experience", added Sharma

According to Puneet Garg, vice president- Networks, Bharti Airtel Ltd., the tremendous potential for growth through LTE would include rural internet, broadband, smartphone and urban internet penetration. "The Indian opportunity is most prominent because 50 per cent of the population is below 26 years and broadband subscribers could exceed 400 million by 2017 and mobile data is projected to grow considerably.

"LTE meets coverage and capacity challenges quickly" said Garg whose company was the first to bring 4G or wireless broadband in India starting from Kolkata.

Giving the findings from an Australian case study of LTE set up, Aircel technology solutions head, Robert Sewell demonstrated how it was cost effective. Videocon mobile services head Arvind Bali revealed that his company has decided to move over its services to wireless broadband. Among the many benefits he listed was DNA sequencing availability at any time which will change the way medical services would be delivered in future.

"LTE is in reality a Life Time Experience," Bali claimed. A new benchmark that Yugul Sharma, COO of Tikona Digital Networks laid down was one GB of use per consumer per day that would be possible with LTE.

Making it truly global platform to conduct business, global majors engaged in wireless broadband technology - ZTE, Radisys, Spirent, Starhome, JDSU, Tekelec, Wipro, Aricent Group, Azimuth, IXIA, Tektronix, NEXGE, Teracom had participated at the event. Around 600 business delegates had participated in the event.