Spirent has been involved with testing commercial LTE devices from LG, Sierra Wireless, Novatel Wireless, Samsung and Fujitsu, which use chipsets from four different vendors. "Spirent solutions ensure that our customers' products and networks not only meet baseline industry standards but go beyond them to deliver the highest possible quality of experience for subscribers," Charles Simmons, president of Spirent's Wireless Division said. "Quality of experience is a major contributor to the successful take-up of new products and services."
Carriers won't have too many opportunities to educate consumers about LTE-specific devices, so it's paramount that network testing is thorough. On the customer side, empowering them to control their service as much as possible is the best way for operators to communicate the value of the service.
"The 'educational' process here is likely to be via introduction of new flexible charging plans that help customers realize the real value they receive and the advantages they gain over the old 'flat-rate' plans," Carrero adds.
The promise of LTE for network traffic efficiency and the ability to offer a new service to consumers has yet to be realized. However, the ability to optimize LTE and ensure it meets or exceeds customer expectations may be the difference between those who succeed and those who do not.
