First ever 4G services go live

It was only a matter of time. The evolution of telecommunication mobile broadband service has continued with Scandinavian operator, TeliaSonera, becoming the first ever company to offer Long Term Evolution (LTE) or 4G services. The services went live in Oslo and Stockholm today and will cover approximately 400,000 people.

The infrastructure for the Stockholm LTE network is being supplied by Ericsson, while the Oslo deployment is based on Huawei equipment. The services are approximately 10 times faster than the predecessor, HSDPA.

As the next generation in mobile broadband services, LTE will offer higher speeds, more capacity and lower latency with an all IP technology supporting it. The lower latency will allow for better viewing of streaming HD video, gaming and video conferencing.

"We are very proud to be the first operator in the world to offer our customers 4G services," TeliaSonera mobility chief Kenneth Karlberg said in a statement on Monday. "The use of mobile broadband in the Nordic countries is exploding, and customers need higher speeds and capacity. This is why we launch 4G services in both Stockholm and Oslo."

Carl-Henric Svanberg, President and CEO of Ericsson said, "The new era of mobile broadband has just begun today. With LTE, so-called 4G, your mobile broadband experience is moving to unequalled levels. The LTE speed gives you an absolutely effortless feeling of broadband access."

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