3GPP freezes LTE 4G standard in preparation for ratification

The 3GPP^(INFO) is reporting that it has frozen the spec for LTE^(INFO), the technology expected to dominate the next wave of wireless growth. LTE is the upgrade path of choice for most all of the world's GSM and UMTS based carriers, but has also been chosen by some CDMA powers, including Verizon Wireless and Alltel Wireless in the USA.

Now that the specifications for LTE, also known as Long Term Evolution, have been fixed, the road has been paved for a real ratification of the standard as part of the group's Release 8 set of standards that are due to be released in March of 2009. So far LTE has been largely relegated to test runs, since HSPA based UMTS networks still have quite a bit of life left in them, but the ratification of the standard is sure to encourage an increase in interest in LTE.

Earlier this month Nokia Siemens opened up an LTE testing lab in Dallas, and LG successfully completed the testing of the world's first LTE cell phone chipset. [via PhoneScoop]