WiMAX, LTE fail to qualify ITU's 4G test

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND: Now, if you had thought that WiMAX and LTE are 4G technogies, then it's time to reconsider.

ITU’s Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) announced that it has completed the assessment of six candidate submissions for the global 4G mobile wireless broadband technology, otherwise known as IMT-Advanced.

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As per the group's assessment, two technologies, LTE-Advanced and WirelessMAN-Advanced (Developed by IEEE as the WirelessMAN-Advanced specification incorporated in IEEE Std 802.16 beginning with approval of IEEE Std 802.16m) have been accorded the official designation of IMT-Advanced, qualifying them as true 4G technologies.

"In the ITU-R Report, the LTE-Advanced and WirelessMAN-Advanced technologies were each determined to have successfully met all of the criteria established by ITU-R for the first release of IMT-Advanced," says an official ITU release.

Whereas, WiMAX and LTE feature nowhere in this report and also fail to qualify the test. This could be a big blow to telcos who have been braving hard to launch 4G technolgy with either WiMAX or LTE.

The Report is expected to be approved by ITU Member States at the ITU-R Study Group 5 meeting in Geneva in late November 2010.