With 3G technology powering most of the first world"s mobile phone connectivity, everyone is already looking forward to the next step up. With WiMAX being passed over by most industry players (the struggling Sprint is a noticeable exception), it"s looking as though LTE (3GPP Long Term Evolution), also being called 4G, is going to be that much anticipated step forward. With theoretical download speeds of 100Mbps and upload speeds that can peak at a lofty 50Mbps, it"s no wonder so many providers and handset manufacturers are jumping on board the LTE bandwagon.
LG Electronics is already on board and in a big way. The company has just demonstrated the world"s first LTE handset modem chip in their labs in Korea. During the demonstration, the chip managed to achieve a 60Mbps download speed and an upload speed of 20Mbps. Compare that to the average download speed of 3.6 - 7.2Mbps of today"s 3G networks and you can"t help but be somewhat impressed.
Now that the connectivity is there, LG insists that the first LTE handset is "on the horizon". Giving consideration to the current rumors that mobile service provider Verizon will begin their LTE rollout as early as 2009, it is easy to assume that we should be hearing more from LG, on this front, sooner rather than later.