LTE (Long-Term Evolution), commonly marketed as 4G LTE, is the new standard for wireless communication of high-speed data for mobile phones and data terminals.

The problem is that the complete 4G LTE technology is not currently available in Jamaica, as neither Digicel nor Flow uses it — although both companies insist that they are using 4G technology for their Internet service.

Digicel boasts of its 4G broadband service offering customers access to high-speed Internet services, via its wireless broadband service. However, the company also admits that 4G broadband is the name it has given to the Internet service it is offering and has confirmed that it intends to introduce 4G LTE soon.

Digicel says that its 4G broadband service offers individual customers access to high-speed Internet over a secure wireless connection using WiMAX fourth-generation technology. However, it admits that WiMAX refers only to the 4G technology that is used to provide wireless broadband solutions to its customers.

Flow has also promised 4G LTE, but continues promoting its service as 4G broadband. The company, which was recently acquired by UK firm Liberty Global, says on its website that its 4G network has been designed to be easily extendable to support LTE and that, “in the very near future FLOW will be rolling out 42 Mbps HSPA+ in some of its countries of operation”.

So, there has been a vacuum created by incomplete 4G LTE service which is about to be filled, and the best bet is that the first company to introduce a complete 4G infrastructure, instead of 3G plus, to Jamaica could very well be Symbiote Investments Ltd or Caricel Jamaica, the island’s third mobile spectrum licencee — which claims to be a fully Jamaican-owned company.

This is likely even though Digicel has had a close relationship with Alepo, the global provider of core network and IT software solutions for communications service providers, dating as far back as 2009, which is creating the platform for Caricel’s 4G LTE service.

Alepo is laying the foundation for Caricel’s 4G LTE service, since 2009. Symbiote, the company which owns the Caricel brand, is the first fully Jamaican-owned telecoms company to be granted a local mobile spectrum licence. Caricel has entered into a relationship with Alepo which is expected to open the door to the new technology very soon.

Caricel said last month, after the announcement that it had been given the third licence, that it intends to bring “cutting-edge technology, lightning fast broadband speeds and serious innovation to the industry”, so that Jamaican consumers will have “First-World products and services provided by a Jamaican-owned and controlled company, for the first time”.

Last Tuesday, US-based Alepo announced that it had struck a new partnership with Comtech Telecommunications Corporation — a leading US provider of advanced communication solutions to government and commercial customers — to launch Caricel’s LTE services in Jamaica.

As part of the partnership with Comtech, Alepo said it will deploy its complete LTE monetisation solution, including its advanced policy and charging control (PCRF), convergent charging and billing (OCS), CRM, and home subscriber server (HSS).

It pointed out that, with 4G LTE competition set to intensify in Jamaica, the LTE monetization platform will enable Caricel to rapidly launch innovative and competitive data offers.

The new 4G LTE service promised by Caricel is expected to provide faster service, download more pictures, and let consumers watch movies any time and utilise video chat on-the-go.

This has also generated the first joint LTE deployment between the two US companies, Comtech and Alepo.

“We are very pleased to partner with Alepo to support the launch of LTE at Caricel Jamaica,” said Jude Panetta, group vice-president, strategy and technology in Comtech’s government solutions segment.

“Alepo’s complete LTE solutions and proven industry experience, coupled with its commitment to customer service, helped them gain a competitive advantage in Caricel Jamaica’s LTE network rollout,” he added.

Comtech Telecommunications Corporation designs, develops, produces and markets innovative products, systems and services for advanced communications solutions. The company sells products to a diverse customer base in the global, commercial and government communications markets.