ZTE completes LTE field tests for Etisalat

Chinese equipment and network solutions provider ZTE Corporation has successfully completed lab and field tests on the Long Term Evolution (LTE) trial network of UAE-based telecoms operator Etisalat. The tests include LTE field trials at Etisalat’s headquarters in Abu Dhabi, and measure functionality and performance throughout the network infrastructure, including the Uni-RAN based LTE base stations, SAE core network, unified network management software and test terminals. With the completion of the field trials, which form part of an end-to-end solution provided by ZTE under a cooperation agreement signed in October 2009, the Chinese company has said it will now press ahead with the next round of tests. CommsUpdate reported last month that Etisalat plans to launch the technology commercially by the end of 2010. Abdulla Al Ahmad, vice president of Enterprise Sales at Etisalat said that the company will be able to provide theoretical download speeds of up to 140Mbps and maximum uplink rates of 50Mbps.